Professor Mrs. Goski Alabi, Consulting President of Laweh University College in Accra and Board Member of the African Network for Internationalisation of Education (ANIE), has hailed the launch of the African Foundation for Lifelong Learning (AFLL). She described it as a timely initiative that will advance inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, in line with SDG 4.
Prof. Mrs. Alabi, a former president of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE), expressed confidence that the AFLL will help develop the skills, competencies, and attitudes necessary to achieve Africa’s Agenda 2063.
She shared these thoughts in a statement to the media following the launch of AFLL in Morocco recently.
“Lifelong learning is the cornerstone of personal and professional development, enabling individuals to stay relevant in their careers, contribute to economic growth, and foster innovation and creativity,” she said.
She emphasized that the Foundation should focus on creating an inclusive learning ecosystem that addresses the diverse needs of African learners. This should include promoting flexible education pathways that recognize prior learning from formal, non-formal, or informal education, and experience.
Prof. Mrs. Alabi also highlighted the importance of literacy and numeracy, digital literacy, technological proficiency, vocational training, entrepreneurship education, and the promotion of critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
The AFLL was launched at an event organized by the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Sciences, and Culture in Rabat under the theme ‘Lifelong Learning for Africa’s Development’.
It aims it enhancing lifelong learning opportunities across Africa by sharing best practices, developing strategies, identifying national policy priorities, and translating them into actionable plans for each country.
It will support these efforts by providing easy-access digital solutions and establishing a network for lifelong learning in Africa, facilitated by the Classera e-learning platform.
Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for personal or professional reasons. It encompasses all types of learning activities, from formal education to informal learning opportunities, and can take place at any stage of life.
The concept emphasizes that learning is not confined to childhood or the classroom but is a continuous process that enhances social inclusion, active citizenship, personal development, and employability.
