On Tuesday, October 28th, 2025, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), UNESCO, Microsoft, and EdTech Hub convened a high-level pre-event session on digital transformation during the 2025 ADEA Triennale in Accra, Ghana, bringing together education leaders from across the continent to accelerate practical action toward resilient, inclusive, and technology-enabled education systems.

Held under the banner of the Digital Transformation Collaborative (DTC), the half-day workshop convened representatives from Ministries of Education, development partners, researchers, and technology experts from ten African countries through ADEA’s Inter-Country Quality Node on Mathematics and Science Education (ICQN-MSE). The session served as a bridge between global digital frameworks and country-level implementation.

Participants were introduced to UNESCO’s Digital Transformation Framework and the DTC’s Six Pillars Framework, which offered a structured guide to building sustainable digital education ecosystems across Africa. Discussions focused on six key areas: connectivity and infrastructure, leadership and coordination, cost and sustainability, capacity development, learning content, and data systems.

Countries shared progress and persistent challenges, including unequal access to connectivity, infrastructure gaps in rural communities, financing constraints, and limited teacher capacity to integrate digital tools into teaching. Participants emphasized the urgent need for policy coherence, sustained teacher development, and stronger public-private partnerships to accelerate transformation.

The session also spotlighted African-led innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. Presentations showcased Rwanda’s teacher-centered AI training model under the Day of AI initiative and Ghana’s curriculum-aligned digital content development through Playlab AI, highlighting how locally driven solutions can make emerging technologies accessible and impactful in classrooms.

The dialogue reinforced the importance of embedding digital transformation within national education strategies rather than treating it as a standalone reform. Participants also underscored the need for ethical AI use and stronger data systems to guide decision-making and improve learning outcomes.

ADEA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting African governments through technical assistance, peer learning, and knowledge exchange via the Digital Transformation Collaborative. The outcomes of the session will inform follow-up country engagement and strengthen regional cooperation on education technology reform. Present at the workshop include Ministers of Education from Ghana, Haruna Idrissu, Sierra Leone, Dr. Conrad Sackey, and The Gambia, Dr Pierre Gomez.