• Ondo moves to reshape secondary school learning, unveils tech-driven future
• Trains teachers on digital skills, equips 50 schools
• Says digital quiz competition will inspire students

Forty-two African countries have pledged fresh funding and stronger policy commitment to tackling learning poverty across the continent by 2035, placing foundational education at the centre of national development and long-term economic growth.

The commitment was made during the close of the third Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX2026) in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The three-day summit, hosted by the Government of Malawi, in partnership with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), concluded with participating countries committing to increase domestic investment in foundational learning while aligning donor support with national education priorities.

RELATEDLY, Ondo State Government, yesterday, unveiled a digital education agenda designed to reshape secondary school learning , with teachers and students trained to key into a technology-driven system.

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, who disclosed the development during the grand finale of the fourth edition of the state’s digital quiz competition held at the state capital, said the programme includes infrastructure upgrade and student development initiatives.

However, a major outcome of the conference was the launch of the Foundational Learning Initiative for Government-Led Transformation (FLIGHT), a new philanthropic financing platform that will mobilise $35 million to support government-led education reforms across Africa.

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) also announced an additional $37 million in funding for countries, including Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while the World Bank reaffirmed support through its $1.5 billion AIM4Learning programme, which is part of its broader $16 billion education portfolio across Africa.

Executive Secretary of ADEA, Albert Nsengiyumva, while speaking at the event, said improving education outcomes requires not only increased funding but also more efficient use of available resources.

“Countries are going through very tough fiscal pressure, but it is not just about getting resources; it is how we use those resources that matters,” he said, stressing the need for accountability and continuity in education reforms.

The participating governments, therefore, adopted six priority areas to drive implementation over the next decade. These include strengthening political leadership, increasing financing for foundational learning, improving data and accountability systems, scaling evidence-based teaching practices—including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and education technology—enhancing coordination among development partners, and improving access to quality education for vulnerable and hard-to-reach children.

Also, Malawi’s Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Bright Msaka, said the focus must now shift from commitments to implementation.

He noted that African governments were no longer seeking additional declarations but were determined to return home and execute agreed reforms that would improve learning outcomes.

Meanwhile, the next edition of the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange will be hosted by Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2028, where governments are expected to report progress on the commitments made in Malawi.

Ajibefun, while stressing that the initiative signalled the government’s determination to bridge the technological gap in public education, said that the development would further prepare the students for a future increasingly defined by digital competence.

The former vice chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, stated that the digitalisation drive extends beyond equipment provision and stressed that it will encompass holistic transformation of teaching and learning methodologies.

The commissioner also hinted that no fewer than 50 secondary schools had been supplied with digital equipment by a technical partner of the state.

He said that a digital quiz competition had been organised to promote digital literacy and prepare the students of the state for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

On his part, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Akindele Ige, stated that the competition was to promote digital literacy among the students.