Ouagadougou forum: African leaders urge education reform to drive industrial sovereignty
The 3rd Strategic Research Forum in Ouagadougou became a rallying point for calls to overhaul Africa’s education systems and achieve industrial and economic sovereignty. Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, former Prime Minister of Niger, delivered a keynote address demanding a “decisive shift” in African education, urging governments to prioritize engineering and technical fields over less development-critical disciplines.
His remarks come as Sahel Confederation states move to reclaim control of strategic mineral resources. “Failing to manage our mineral wealth due to a lack of local expertise is a fundamental error,” Mayaki warned, emphasizing that curricula from primary to university levels must align with industrialization needs to enable local raw material processing, value addition, and skilled job creation.
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The forum organized by Burkina Faso’s National Center for Strategic Studies (CNES-BF) convened researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to chart this transformation.
Discussions centered on affirmative action for STEM education and collaborative reforms to end reliance on foreign expertise.
The gathering reflects President Ibrahim Traoré’s vision of sovereign resource management, following Burkina Faso’s recent reassertion of control over its natural assets.
As Mayaki concluded: “Africa’s place in the global strategic resources market depends on self-reliance—and education is the foundation.”
Olivier TOE
