Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka has urged African governments to increase investment in foundational learning, saying stronger education systems are critical to improving learning outcomes and ending learning poverty across the continent.
Speaking on Friday during the closing ceremony of the Third Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX2026) in Lilongwe, Msaka said African countries must move beyond policy discussions and pilot projects to implement practical reforms that deliver measurable results in classrooms.
He said governments should strengthen education systems through the use of reliable data, effective learner assessments and robust accountability mechanisms to ensure that investments in education translate into improved literacy and numeracy among learners.
Msaka also called for sustainable financing and sound governance structures, saying resources allocated to the education sector must be managed efficiently to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
He said investing in foundational learning is key to equipping children with the skills needed to contribute to Africa’s long-term social and economic development.
Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Executive Secretary Albert Nsengiyuva said FLEX2026 had provided participating countries with a clear roadmap for moving from pilot programmes to the full-scale implementation of foundational learning initiatives.
He said countries should adopt learner-centred approaches, including the use of local languages in early-grade education, to improve literacy and numeracy and reduce learning poverty across the continent.
Nsengiyuva added that continued collaboration among governments, development partners and education stakeholders would be essential in turning the commitments made during the conference into lasting improvements in education.
The three-day conference attracted more than 600 education leaders, policymakers, researchers, development partners and practitioners from over 40 African countries. Delegates shared experiences and agreed on practical strategies to strengthen foundational learning as part of Africa’s goal of ending learning poverty by 2035.
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