ADEA and the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa celebrate Africa Day

Published on Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Event: Africa Day celebrations 

Venue: 8 Kenilworth Road, Harare, Zimbabwe 

Date: 24 May 2017 

Time: 12:00 pm GMT+2 

Theme: Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth 

Harare / Abidjan, 23rd May 2017 - The Association for the Development of Education in Africa’s Working Group on Education Management and Policy Support (ADEA-WGEMPS) in collaboration with the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) in Harare, Zimbabwe, will be celebrating Africa Day at their offices on the 24th of May 2017. Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the African Union (25th May 1963) which is celebrated in various countries on the African continent, as well as around the world. The theme of the celebrations is taken from the African Union’s theme for 2017: “Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth”. As noted by the African Union, investments made today in the youth, who represent Africa’s greatest asset, will determine the development trajectory of the continent over the next 50 years and position it towards realizing the “Africa We Want”; a strong, united and influential global player and partner as envisioned in the Agenda 2063 for Africa. 

The purposes of these celebrations are twofold. Firstly, ADEA will use this particular occasion to give feedback to some of its stakeholders and the media on the outcomes of its 2017 Triennale which was held in March 2017 in Diamniadio (Dakar), Senegal. Secondly, the event will be an opportunity to discuss the issues of youth employment and its prospects globally with panelists representing various entities working in sectors related to youth investment and employment. 

This activity is a follow up to the 2016 Africa Day celebrations organised by ADEA-WGEMPS at the UNESCO Regional Office and have become an annual activity used to highlight critical issues related to the continent’s development, particularly in the sectors of education, training, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as innovation and culture. 

For more information on the event, please contact: 

  • Mr. Makha Ndao, Coordinator, ADEA-WGEMPS, T. (+263) 4776775-9, E: m.ndao@afdb.org 
  • Prof. Hubert Gijzen, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, T. (+263) 4 776775-9, E. h.gijzen@unesco.org 

Media contacts 

  • Mr. Stefano De Cupis, Senior Communication Officer, ADEA, T. (+225) 20264261, E: s.decupis@afdb.org 
  • Mr. Simbarashe Dzinoreva, Project Analyst, ADEA-WGEMPS, T. (+263) 4776775-9, E: s.dzinoreva@adeanet.org 
  • Mr. Chimbidzikai Mapfumo, Communication and Information Officer, UNESCO Regional Office for Sothern Africa, T. (+263) 4776775-9, E: c.mapfumo@unesco.org 

About ADEA: 

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is a forum for policy dialogue, composed of all Ministers in charge of education, science and technology in Africa. Established in 1988 at the instigation of the World Bank Group, it has evolved into a pan-African institution based within the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). ADEA’s work has expanded to focus more on the development of skills and competencies across all the education sub-sectors. It envisions a “high quality African education and training system that is geared towards the promotion of critical knowledge and skills for accelerated and sustainable development in Africa”. http://www.adeanet.org 

About UNESCO ROSA: 

The UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA), covers nine countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Guided by the principles of cultural diversity and human dignity and in collaboration with its partners, governments and institutions, the Office seeks to advocate for and build countries’ capacities for the provision of universal access to quality basic education and expanded access to pre-basic, post-basic and continuing education; the development and application of scientific and technological knowledge for social and economic development; the promotion of cultural diversity and the preservation of the world’s cultural heritage; and the expansion of access to information and communication technologies. For more information, visit: www.unesco.org/harare.