Berlin – German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, and World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana, have agreed to strengthen the partnership under a joint initiative to support education and skills development in the Sahel. The agreement was held on 15 July 2024.
The Sahel is one of the world’s most youthful regions. With more than 58 million people below the age of 25 years, the region can tap into the talent of its extraordinarily vibrant and dynamic youth. Yet, the region faces a learning crisis which is compounded by limited state capacity and persistent conflict and violence that severely disrupt the delivery of education and other essential services.
Across the region, nearly 40% of children of primary school age are not in school. Over 11,000 schools have closed due to conflicts or direct threats against educational staff. The quality of education is also affected. Nearly 90% of children by the end of their primary education are unable to read and understand an age-appropriate sentence, highlighting a severe lack of foundational literacy and numeracy. As a result, many of the approximately 1.4 million young people entering the labor force each year across the Sahel do not have the relevant skills required by the job market.
We therefore need to act now. Investments in education and vocational training are critical to equip the growing young population in the Sahel for the future workforce, which could yield significant demographic dividends for the region’s development.
The World Bank and Germany have agreed to join forces to address the learning crisis in the Sahel and promote greater opportunities for young people. A new joint Sahel-Alliance flagship initiative will help to: (i) expand access to quality education for young people with a focus on girls, refugees, IDPs and nomad children; (ii) increase the number of trained educators and professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), (iii) strengthen Sahelian education systems, and enhance regional collaboration in the education sector.
The joint initiative is structured around three main priorities:
- Building Flexible and Resilient Pathways for the Youth: The initiative will support the development of the Sahel Open School to improve access to quality education and training for nomads, cross-border workers, displaced persons, refugees, youth with special needs, and other out-of-school children. This is an alternative, flexible, and resilient education model that ensures continuity of schooling and learning across borders and provides additional pathways to formal education through vocational and technical training. The program will target two million out-of-school children, particularly girls between the ages of 12 and 16 years old.
- Training STEM Professionals through the Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs): In collaboration with the existing ACEs, the engagement will offer higher education services to students in the five Sahel countries to prepare the next generation of STEM teachers, trainers, and workers in key growth sectors.
- Stepping up Education Reforms and Strengthening Regional Collaboration: In response to the numerous educational challenges facing the Sahel region, the joint engagement will help to establish and operationalize a Sahel regional institute. This institute will merge applied research, professional training, policy advice, and knowledge sharing. It will assist countries in adopting high-impact education reforms. The initiative will directly benefit a significant cadre of education planners and managers across the Sahelian education systems. Most importantly, it will impact millions of Sahelian students who will benefit from better schooling and learning opportunities.
To operationalize the collaboration, the World Bank with the support of Germany is establishing a new Sahel and West African Coastal Countries Fund (SAWACC). The fund will focus on addressing the learning crisis in the region and advancing the joint initiative on education and skills development. It will also provide a financing platform for members of the Sahel-Alliance and other partners to address some of the most pressing priorities to tackle the root causes of conflict and fragility and build pathways to resilience in the Sahel and neighboring coastal countries. Germany and the World Bank invite other partners to join this financing platform to achieve greater impact at scale.
Actions are already underway to tackle the learning crisis in the Sahel, but more concerted efforts are needed to promote a better future for the Sahelian youth. Education is the keystone of development. It is a key driver of human capital, stability, social cohesion, and peace. We are committed to working together to help realize the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of the youth in the Sahel.
