Xi congratulates AU summit
African leaders say education key to continent’s growth, sustainable development
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Feb 17 to the 37th African Union (AU) summit held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Xi said, and the Global South represented by China and Africa is booming, which has a profound effect on the course of world history.
The AU brings African countries together to seek strength through unity and promote integration and the building of free trade areas, he said.
The bloc’s accession to the Group of 20 has further enhanced Africa’s representation and lifted its voice in global governance, he said, and China extends heartfelt congratulations on that.
Over the past year China-Africa relations have grown deeper, he said. When the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue was held last August, the two sides decided to support each other in exploring their modernization paths and jointly create a favorable environment for realizing their development visions, he said.
The new session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held this year, he said.
He is ready to work with leaders of African countries, with a focus on the benefits of people from both sides, to draw up a new blueprint for ChinaAfrica collaboration and promote the joint building of a high-level ChinaAfrica community with a shared future, he said.
At the opening of the two-day meeting on Feb 17, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said new technologies and innovative learning models could help Africa leapfrog into the future, noting that technology has taken learning beyond the classroom.
“Artificial intelligence is delivering personalized learning, tailored to children’s needs by breaking down cultural and language barriers.
“Such developments will allow our youth to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit, problem-solving skills and determination to overcome challenges
on Africa’s development path.”
Investment and financial constraints are the major challenges affecting education in Africa, Ahmed said, and the continent’s financial needs are growing because of climate change and the cost of living crisis.
He called on major financial agencies to consider the realities of today’s world, particularly regarding middleand low-income countries.
Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, president of Mauritania and president of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU, said the success of Africa’s sustainable development
hinges on substantial investment in human resources, emphasizing a comprehensive, high-quality education that embraces science and technology.
Education serves as the cornerstone for sustainable development, acting as a crucial catalyst for security, stability and the cultivation of skills that pave a pivotal role in breaking the cycle of unemployment, poverty, and fragility, Ghazouani said.
The loss of Africa’s youth, who constitute about 62 percent of the total population, is synonymous with the loss of the continent, he said, and an uneducated youth is a lost opportunity.
“Witnessing millions of young Africans lacking basic skills, unemployed in their own countries or risking their lives on perilous migration journeys underscores the urgent need for a radical transformation of our educational systems.”
Africa’s education system grapples with limited access, high dropout rates, and inadequate quality education and training, he said.
More than 17 percent of primary school age children in Africa are not in school, he said, and 75 percent of young people at the secondary level lack the essential skills.
He urged governments, civil societies and stakeholders in various fields to redouble their efforts in raising awareness and mobilizing human, technical and financial resources.
“Such initiatives will unlock and empower the creative energies of African women, fostering their effective leadership across diversity development pathways.”
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was on a state visit to Ethiopia, said his country is willing to develop educational programs in Africa and promote intense exchange of teachers and researchers.
On Feb 18, the AU Commission said that to realize a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development, the continent needs to make significant investment in education with the aim of developing human and social capital through an education and skills revolution emphasizing innovation, science, and technology.