Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman at the United Nations Development Program Event “Mobilizing Africa’s Sixth Region: Helping Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century”

DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR ISOBEL COLEMAN: Good afternoon. Thank you to our colleagues at UNDP for bringing us together today, and to our partners joining the discussion.

It's a pleasure to be with you as we explore the promise of African-led innovation in education, technology, and entrepreneurship to drive global progress.

All of us here today know that the African continent is a powerhouse of promise. This year, the continent is poised to be the world's second fastest-growing region - Africa is home to 12 of the 20 fastest growing economies on the planet.

The African continent also boasts an exceptionally young and growing population, with 60 percent of its inhabitants under the age of 25, and by 2040, Africa will have the largest workforce in the world - larger than China and India combined.

If we are going to achieve the SDGs and build the peaceful and prosperous world we all seek to advance, we must invest in harnessing that enormous potential.

This past March, I visited Atlanta to take part in the Phambili Trade and Innovation Event. While in Atlanta, I started discussing with Helene Gayle, the President of Spellman college, the potential for connecting American Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, with universities and colleges in Africa - harnessing cultural ties, and connecting young people pursuing careers in STEM on both sides of the world, empowering the next generation of students that could develop relationships and trade between the continent and the United States.

Since then, USAID has been in conversation with Spellman and other HBCUs about making this idea a reality, starting with one class that could count toward the HBCU students' college degrees.

The idea blossomed, and in May of this year, USAID officially announced the launch of this program during the official visit of Kenyan President Ruto to the United States.

EdTech Africa will pilot in Kenya featuring a select cohort of students from two to three HBCUs in the United States - Howard University and the Atlanta University Consortium - and three Kenyan Universities - University of Nairobi, University of Embu, and the Open University of Kenya - focusing on data science.

In addition to academic coursework, the partnership will provide workforce development training in association which will require a collaborative project as a capstone to the class.

They will also participate in an entrepreneurship bootcamp in Atlanta sponsored by Mastercard and project based work sponsored by Microsoft at their Microsoft Africa Research Institute in Nairobi.

This hands-on approach will equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today's competitive job market.

This is just the first partnership under EdTech Africa that will develop enduring connections with industry and between African and U.S. institutions focused on technology research and development and private-sector job growth.

The EdTech Africa initiative is poised to make a significant impact at a time when Africa is experiencing rapid digital transformation characterized by technological advancements, increased connectivity, and emerging job opportunities.

To thrive in this new digital landscape, a safe and secure ecosystem is essential, and the EdTech Africa initiative will contribute to building such an environment.

The United States is eager to partner with Africa to uplift the next generation of innovative, African-led solutions - helping generate broadly shared opportunity and prosperity that benefits families and communities across the continent, and sustainable growth that benefits economies across the world.

These are just a few of the ways USAID is investing in Africa's future.

But we know our work is not done.

The African continent is teeming with potential to drive the next generation of global progress, and now, it's up to all of us - governments, partner countries, UN organizations, and the private sector - to invest in that potential.

Thank you.

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