Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that Africa continent is going to make sure that every young child on the continent has access to quality education that will allow them to be able to address [ads1]the challenges of the 21st century.
Speaking at the 3rd International Conference on the ‘Replenishment of the Funds of the Global Partnership for Education” in Dakar, The President said Africa has the resources and capacity to finance access to quality education by its citizens, and to also promote the interests of the continent. He explained that Africa cannot depend on other people to finance the education on our continent always and it is time Africans make their own policies and control of their own destiny.
Elaborating on the importance of education to the advancement of the continent, President Akufo-Addo stated that the paradox of Africa having the youngest population and being the richest continent on the planet, but with the worst living conditions could only be broken by education. He said Ghana as a country is determined to open opportunities for everybody.
According to him, over 100,000 young Ghanaian students were unable to progress from Junior High School to Senior High School, largely because of money. Many of them fully qualified, but their parents were unable to support their higher education for the past years. This he revealed paved way for the Free Education Policy that saw an increment in enrolment into the second cycle schools. “So, as from September past, Senior High School education in the public school system has been made free,” It is the first step in ensuring that the educational system in our country, from kindergarten through primary to secondary, and ultimately through University, are open for everybody,” he noted.
He indicated that a greater focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, will guarantee the future of the continent and that has been evident in the development of the economies of Asia, in China, India, Japan, and Korea. The President added that is the way forward to be able to make the transition from poor to prosperity.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that the abundant resources in Africa could be put to good use by eliminating corruption in public life. He said the challenge threatening the development of Africa is how to make sure that the huge wealth of the continent is used on the peoples of the continent, and not those outside.
President Akufo-Addo was accompanied to the Conference by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and officials of the Presidency, Foreign and Education Ministries.