The eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table

A high-level, inter-governmental meeting on digital education, training and skills development, taking place in conjunction with the annual eLearning Africa conference.

For the past 20 years, eLearning Africa has convened the Ministerial Round Table alongside eLearning Africa to provide an open platform to discuss challenges and exchange knowledge about leveraging technology for education, training and skills development.

The goal of the meeting is to facilitate open dialogue and generate practical recommendations that will have real-world impact on policy drafting and implementation.

Please note that participation at the Ministerial Round Table is by invitation only.

2026

The 18^th eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table will take place in Accra, Ghana, from June 3 – 5, 2026, under the theme “Championing Sovereign, Innovative and United Learning Systems: Empowering Africa on Its Own Terms.”

As Africa moves deeper into the digital age, its leaders face a defining moment. Rapid technological change, shifting global dynamics, and the pressures of economic transformation are reshaping the continent’s education and training systems. Building on the overarching eLearning Africa theme “Africa’s Time, Africa’s Terms: Learning for Sovereignty, Strength and Solidarity,” the 2026 Round Table will bring together ministers of education, ICT, labour, youth and finance to discuss how Africa can assert ownership of its digital learning future.

How can African countries secure sovereignty over their education systems and data, develop the skills and innovation capacity needed for sustainable growth, and strengthen continental solidarity in an interconnected world? The discussions in Accra will seek practical answers to these questions through three key areas: financing and infrastructure for digital learning, AI and innovation for skills development, and cross-border collaboration for resilient and inclusive learning systems.

The Accra Ministerial Round Table will aim to define the policies and partnerships needed to ensure that Africa’s digital transformation in education is not only inclusive and sustainable, but truly led - and owned - by Africa, on its own terms.

2025

The 17^th eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on May 7, 2025 alongside the eLearning Africa Conference and adressed the overall theme with a particular focus on “Reimagining Human Capital Development in Africa: Developing Skills for the Digital Workplace, Building AI Readiness for Africa and the Centrality of Data.”

The Ministerial Roundtable brought together a diverse range of expertise and examples of good practice from Africa and beyond. The presentations and discussions were stimulating, and engaged all the participants. The outputs from this very dynamic and thought-provoking Ministerial Roundtable, included recognising the importance of African generated data, in African languages, to inform an Afro-centric approach to AI, which addresses Africa’s needs, while enabling Africa to contribute to global issues. In order to achieve this, we need a focus on developing skills at all levels, and work collaboratively across countries and with regional and continental bodies.

The Chair, Dr Aida Opoku-Mensah noted seven principles and action points from this Ministerial Roundtable that participants should focus on, in taking forward the lessons of this Ministerial Roundtable:

• Expand connectivity infrastructure
• Promote regional, and continental, alignment in AI strategies
• Integrate global benchmarks into national planning and monitoring
• Integrate data skills into national education agendas
• Policies are needed for AI readiness - with coherent national approaches
• Strengthen public private academia partnerships - universities are crucial in this work
• Support innovation ecosystems to promote local knowledge and innovation.

MRT Partners were:

2024

The 16^th eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table took place in Kigali, Rwanda on May 29, 2024 alongside the eLearning Africa Conference and adressed the overall theme with a particular focus on “Digital Education, Skills and Human Capital: from Learning to Earning.”

The African Union's "Agenda 2063" envisions a developed Africa playing a pivotal global role by the second half of the century. Africa's rising political and economic significance is evident, yet challenges persist, including regional instability and climate change impacts. While Africa holds advantages like a growing population and valuable resources, it must also look to rapidly developing its human resources.

Addressing challenges will occur not only at the national level but also at the local and and regional levels. The African Union and regional bodies will play key roles in Agenda 2063's execution. Success hinges on a well-educated population with a grasp of digital advancements in addressing climate change, the 4IR and a growing population. Effective leadership is vital in conveying a prosperous and sustainable vision. The evolving global work landscape calls for a skilled African workforce that can not only develop Africa, but also contribute to global development through remote work and migration. This demands innovative education approaches, from inclusive and personalized learning post-primary school to stackable credentials with global recognition.

Measuring educational outcomes, impact; and focusing on transferable skills over content adaptation are crucial amid a rapidly changing global context. Artificial Intelligence can improve education, foster inclusion, and lower per capita costs, but it also has drawbacks such as high introduction costs, and lack of creativity. It poses risks and challenges that will need policy and regulation.

MRT Partners were: