Ethiopia’s Education Minister says Africa must adapt to changing world so as not to left behind

Addis Ababa, May 1, 2025 (FMC) — Africa must adapt to the rapidly changing global landscape so as not to be left behind the rest of the world, Education Minister Professor Berhanu Nega said.

The minister, in his remarks at the closing ceremony of the Innovation Africa 2025 Summit on Wednesday, stressed the urgent need for Africa to adapt to the rapidly changing global landscape.

“Are we Africans going to continue down the same path as in the past, or will we confront this emerging world with intentionality?” he asked.

Africa must address issues on how to deal with the crisis related to climate change, technology, and the rapidly changing world order on a daily basis, according to the minister.

If not, Professor Berhanu noted that the rapidly changing world doesn’t just leave Africa behind but may also consume Africa.

“For us Africans, the most important question that we have to address is that are we going in the same way as we did in the past or are we going to confront this emerging world with intentionality, with knowing where we want to go so that we are not continuously going to be behind the rest of the world.”

According to him, Ethiopia in this respect is conscious of these developments of the dynamic world than any time in the past amid challenges that hinder the nation’s moving forward.

The approach of the nation is rooted in understanding not only geopolitical shifts but also the evolving nature of knowledge and education, he added.

“Here in Ethiopia our understanding of how we move forward is founded on a very important understanding of where the world is going, not only in terms of geopolitics, the nature of the global order which are all important, but also in terms of the way the world is going in terms of knowledge and what is important in knowledge.”

The minister further stated that Ethiopia has undergone significant educational reforms of integrating the education system, aligning assessments with children’s capabilities, and improving school infrastructures to create a more conducive learning environment.

The three-day Innovation Africa 2025 Summit held in Addis Ababa addressed critical issues such as national strategies for enhancing quality education, skills development, teacher training, capacity building, and the integration of digital technologies, among others.