AU Calls for Concerted Efforts to Address Learning Poverty

Addis Ababa, July 22, 2025 (ENA) -- African Union (AU) called on its member countries to share practical experiences and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders in addressing learning poverty.

Data from the AU shows that approximately 9 out of 10 children in sub-Saharan Africa are unable to read proficiently by age 10.

In September 2024, the AU launched the End Learning Poverty for All in Africa (ELPAf) campaign as a flagship initiative to reverse this negative trend and mark the AU Year of Education.

The campaign aims to increase the number of children who can read, write, and perform basic math by age 10. It seeks to ensure that every child in Africa achieves quality foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills by 2035.

 

This bold initiative is the continent's urgent call to action to address the learning crisis that is depriving millions of children of their potential.

Accordingly, Zambia and Malawi recently launched a campaign to address the continent's foundational learning challenges.

Today, the African Union held a validation workshop on the FLN practice to end learning poverty in Africa, bringing participants from across the continent to its headquarters in Addis Ababa.

During the event, Professor Saidou Madougou, the Director of the Department of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation at the African Union, underscored the critical necessity to tackle learning poverty in Africa.

He pointed out the significant effects of educational poverty, which extend beyond an educational crisis and greatly influence the social development of African nations.

 

He further stated that these obstacles hinder children from achieving their full potential and jeopardize the future of society, as education serves as the foundation for socio-economic advancement.

Consequently, the director urged for a reversal of this detrimental trend through a revitalized fundamental education system that acknowledges essential numeracy and literacy skills in primary education.

He noted that the intervention should be scalable to ensure that children are able to read, write, and perform.

Additionally, he called upon member states of the African Union to exchange practical experiences and enhance collaboration among stakeholders in combating learning poverty.