Events

Shaping the Sahel’s future in today’s schools: a commitment to provide quality education in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad

December 5, 2021

Nouakchott, Mauritania

Over the past 15 years, the Sahel countries have virtually doubled primary school enrollment and tripled secondary school enrollment.

Despite these significant strides, a host of challenges still need to be addressed if the region hopes to achieve universal access to education and provide quality education for all its youth. Decisive action in this area is crucial for paving the way for future generations to build the future that they desire and the region to produce the human capital critical to its economic transformation.

In partnership with the World Bank, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the G5 Sahel leaders will convene a Summit on Education in the Sahel on December 5, 2021 in Nouakchott.

This summit aims to underscore the importance of quality education for human capital development in the region, secure the buy-in and support of policy makers to implement the reforms and investments needed to address learning poverty, and develop a road map for more effective investment in primary education over the next 10 years.

AGENDA
SPEAKERS AND PARTICIPANTS
Useful resources

Time	Session
11:00 a.m.	Participant Registration
11:30 a.m.	"Youth Voices" session
12:00 p.m.	Arrival of heads of state and welcome video
12:05 p.m	Welcoming video
12:10 a.m.	Opening address by the World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana
12:20 p.m.	Address by the President of the Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani
1:00 p.m	Presentation of the World Bank White Paper on Education in the Sahel Countries
1:15 p.m.	Discussion among Heads of State on the White Paper as a prelude to the signing of the Nouakchott Declaration
2:00 p.m.	Signing by the Heads of State of the Nouakchott Declaration on Education in the Sahel Countries
4:00 p.m.	Thematic discussions, led by the Ministers of Basic Education, for the operationalization of the Nouakchott Declaration
5:00 p.m.	Report on the thematic discussions
5:30 p.m.	Closing address

H.E. Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
H.E. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso
H.E. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger
Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa
The summit will be attended by education stakeholders:
The G5 Sahel Secretariat;
The Sahel Alliance and other donors;
United Nations Agencies;
Civil society partners;
Media.
The Wealth of Today and Tomorrow : Sahel Education White Paper
Press Release: Sahel Leaders Commit to Ambitious Reforms to Support Access to Quality Education
Statement: Nouakchott Declaration on Education in the G5 Sahel Countries

About the event

Date: December 5, 2021
Time: 12:00 - 5:30 PM GMT
Location: Palais des Congrès, Nouakchott, Mauritanie

MULTIMEDIA

Niger : l’éducation nous permettra de saisir l’avenir en toute confiance

VIDEO

Niger: education will allow us to embrace the future with confidence

In Niger, 99% of 10-year-olds cannot read or understand a simple story, and more than half of children between the ages of 7 and 12 are not in school owing to the lack of adequate facilities and resources. The LIRE (Learning Improvement for Results in Education) program is strengthening the education system, particularly in fragile regions, with a view to helping girls and boys achieve their full potential.

A child’s future is shaped in the first 2,000 days of life! Education begins in early childhood

An innovative initiative provides mobile childcare units that follow mothers from one worksite to the next. Its success has inspired other countries to adopt this easily organized and effective system for early childhood development.

Photos: Amina Semlali/World Bank