Higher Education

The COVID-19 challenge is unparalleled, triggering major changes among economic and educational sectors, including the Higher education sector. The bases of this unique ecosystem have been impacted significantly, creating the most severe disruption in the world’s higher education systems in history.

After experiencing decades of challenges, higher education (HE) in Africa is presently perceived by key stakeholders as an indispensable component of development. Higher education is the gateway to sustainable development for the African continent at all levels.

As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day, it is worth taking stock of the priority skills of young Africans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and how this sector could be rethought and adapted to ensure better resilience to future crises.​

Africa has an estimated 1,650 higher education institutions, many of them facing challenges that require the intervention of various stakeholders, national governments and development partners in order for the students to maximize their learning outcomes and contribute effectively to the workforce.