Obaseki: Without Education, Skills, Africa’s Projected 2.8 Billion Population Portends Crisis

Africa faces a potential socio-economic crisis if its projected population of 2.82 billion by 2060 is not met with adequate education and skills development, warned former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki. He highlighted that the continent's current systems are ill-equipped to integrate nearly 2 billion additional people needing education and employment over the next three decades.

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Africa is entering a decisive period in which nearly 2 billion additional people will require education, employment, and integration into productive economies over the next three decades, warning that the continent’s current systems are not adequately prepared to meet the demands.

Obaseki, speaking at the 3rd ICESCO Dialogue in London, pointed to the dire reality of "learning poverty" in Sub-Saharan Africa, where over 89 percent of children struggle with foundational learning, and millions remain out of school. He stressed that without urgent investment, the continent risks a large, under-skilled workforce.

The summit, attended by ministers and experts, focused on practical K-12 education reforms. The Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) program, initiated by Obaseki, garnered attention as ICESCO member states explored its potential to drive education reform and combat learning poverty across their populations.

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over 89 per cent of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are already in “learning poverty,” while millions remain out of school entirely, including an estimated 15 million children in Nigeria alone.

Obaseki shared how the EdoBEST program evolved from addressing decay in Edo's basic education system to a large-scale reform initiative with tangible results, earning global recognition. He emphasized that successful education reforms require leadership to consistently prioritize education above competing agendas, noting that a migration crisis involving Edo youths in Libya spurred his administration's focus on this area.

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successful education reforms begin with leadership making education the government’s most visible and consistent priority, rather than merely one item among competing agendas.