2015 ‘State of Education in Africa Conference’ to hold in Lagos

Pat Utomi speaks on revitalizing Africa’s education system

Educators and innovators from across Africa and the U.S. will gather for a solutions-driven global education conference, convened by The Africa-America Institute, aimed at putting forth a bold agenda towards improving the educational landscape in Africa.

AAI’s Second Annual State of Education in Africa conference, co-sponsored by The Ford Foundation and with support from the World Bank, will be held on Wednesday, September 2 2015, at the InterContinental Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria.

Policy-makers, educators, administrators, philanthropists and other stakeholders will meet for a daylong conference to assess the progress of education at all levels in Africa and identify opportunities and challenges in education on the African continent. The State of Education in Africa conference is built on the inaugural State of Education conference held in 2014 at the Ford Foundation in New York City.

While some of the fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, UNESCO statistics show that prosperity is slow in trickling down to the greater population as some 30 million primary school students in sub-Saharan Africa were not enrolled in school in 2011.

“The African education system stands at a pivotal crossroad” says Amini Kajunu, president and CEO of The Africa-American Institute. He explains that “The State of Education in Africa conference seeks to elevate discussions on how education is an engine of economic growth and development in Africa and to mobilize a strong commitment to implementing innovative solutions and practical interventions to transform the education system,”

“As the world’s most youthful continent … African young people must be educated and equipped with the skills and knowledge for jobs necessary to sustain economic growth and make the continent competitive in a knowledge-based economy, Kajunu says.

Patrick Utomi, Founder/CEO at Centre for Values in Leadership, will serve as keynote speaker at the conference. He will speak on how to revitalize Africa’s educational system. Utomi is a prolific speaker and commentator on issues of growth and development. He has served in senior positions in government, as an adviser to the President of Nigeria, the private sector, as chief operating officer for Volkswagen of Nigeria and in academia. Prof. Utomi was candidate for President of Nigeria in 2007 and 2011. He is a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and founding Senior Faculty of the Lagos Business School- Pan African University.

Also, some of the world’s leading education experts will serve as speakers and panelists at the conference. Panel discussions will focus on : “Teacher Training”, “Global Best Practices in Education”, “Spotlight on Vocational and Technical Training and Higher Education”, “Early Childhood Education”, and “Reforming Science and Technology Education

The organizers of this Conference, The Africa-America Institute (AAI) is a premier U.S.-based international organization, founded in 1953 and dedicated to strengthening human capacity of Africans and promoting the continent’s development through higher education and skills training, convening activities, program implementation and management.