UNESCO officials call for inclusion of AI in Africa's school curricula

Addis Ababa: Officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have called for the inclusion of artificial...

Addis Ababa: Officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have called for the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI)-related content in foundational and secondary school curricula to transform the education system in Africa.

The opening ceremony of the Ethiopia Digital Week 2025 and Huawei Education Summit was held on Tuesday, bringing together African technology and education experts in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

Speaking at the event, Rita Bissoonauth, director of the UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said the development of AI in Africa will help promote innovative and sustainable education ecosystems through promoting digital solutions.

"UNESCO calls for African governments and private sectors to partner and work together in integrating AI into formal curricula and investing in green, tech-driven educational models to meet the needs of the new green economy," Bissoonauth said.

Bissoonauth lauded Huawei's and other Chinese companies' commitment to expanding information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in Africa. She highlighted Huawei's growing investment in its global ICT academy initiative, including partnering with more than 2,200 educational institutions and offering training to over 200,000 students each year in ICT, networking, and cloud technologies.