Human Capital Africa (HCA), The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), The Aliko Dangote Foundation, and the African Philanthropy Forum launched two powerful coalitions aimed at combating the learning crisis across Africa.
These coalitions—the African CEOs’ Coalition for Foundational Learning and the Africa Philanthropy Coalition for Foundational Learning—will harness collective influence, resources, and expertise to drive sustainable change in education.
The African CEOs’ Coalition for Foundational Learning will unite private sector leaders to address the learning crisis by leveraging their networks and corporate strengths to enhance delivery, influence policy, and build a skilled workforce capable of meeting Africa’s future demands. The Africa Philanthropy Coalition for Foundational Learning will focus on mobilising the resources and expertise of Africa’s growing philanthropic sector to increase funding for African-led solutions.
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The coalitions were officially launched during a high-level dinner at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, bringing together key African stakeholders to discuss strategies for mobilising action and increasing local funding for education.
The event underscored the urgency of the situation, as across Sub-Saharan Africa, nine out of ten children are unable to read and comprehend a simple text by the age of 10. This learning crisis is one of the highest rates of learning poverty globally, presenting a severe human capital emergency for the continent.
This emergency has been exacerbated by recent shifts in global education funding. Between 2023 and 2026, international aid for education is projected to drop by $3.2 billion, a 24% reduction.
In some African regions, such as West and Central Africa, funding could decrease by as much as 25% and by 28% in Eastern and Southern Africa.
The dinner’s discussions focused on practical steps to strengthen collaboration between African stakeholders, fill the education financing gap, and scale up African-led solutions that have already shown success at the country level.
Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Founder and CEO of Human Capital Africa, opened the conversation with a call to action: “We are here with the conviction that Africa-led philanthropy and private sector leadership can change the trajectory of education on our continent.
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“It is a solvable problem if we work together. We can no longer depend on others to solve this challenge for us. Africa must lead—by mobilising domestic resources, designing solutions for our context, and forging powerful partnerships that prioritise foundational learning at the centre of our development agenda.”
Niyi Yusuf, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, emphasised the role of business leaders in shaping Africa’s future: “As business leaders, it is in our enlightened self-interest to ensure that our populations become productive, innovative, and capable of thriving.
“By 2050, Africa will have 2.5 billion people, most of them young. If they cannot produce quality work or earn a living, they cannot consume. This journey toward foundational learning starts today.”
Zouera Youssofou, CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, endorsed the Africa Philanthropy Coalition, stating, “If we don’t get foundational learning right, nothing else will matter. African philanthropies are closer to the beneficiaries, aware of the context, and better positioned to implement change. It’s time we addressed this ourselves.”
Dr Tayo Aduloju, CEO of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, shared a sobering view: “Our limited resources are being spent on building more schools and hiring more teachers, but that alone isn’t solving the problem. Our children are struggling because the system doesn’t teach them how to learn. Learning poverty is a symptom of irresponsible leadership. We must solve this for the sake of the next generation.”
Mosun Layode, highlighting the power of African philanthropy, said, “Africans have an estimated investable wealth of $2.7 trillion. In the next decade, the number of millionaires in Africa will grow by 65%. We have the wealth to drive development; we just need to ensure our philanthropy aligns with national plans and invests collaboratively in impactful areas.”
The new coalitions will complement the African Ministerial Coalition for Foundational Learning, which has already secured commitments from over 30 countries to end learning poverty by 2035, setting the stage for a transformative shift in Africa’s educational landscape.
Sunday Michael Ogwu is a Nigerian journalist and editor of Pinnacle Daily. He is known for his work in business and economic reporting. He has held editorial roles in prominent Nigerian media outlets, where he has focused on economic policy, financial markets, and developmental issues affecting Nigeria and Africa more broadly.
