The event on Thursday also marked the release of the French edition of the 2025 continental Spotlight report on basic education completion and foundational learning in Africa, titled Lead for Foundational Learning.

The launch reinforces Africa’s collective commitment to improving learning outcomes and accelerating education reform across the continent.

Speaking at the event, AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Gaspard Banyankimbona said the Spotlight series is a core instrument of the African Union’s Leveraging Education Analysis for Results Network, a peer‑learning initiative under the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2026–2035.

“We congratulate Côte d’Ivoire on the significant progress presented in the Spotlight report,” Banyankimbona said. “These achievements demonstrate the impact of sustained national commitment to education reform. The African Union is proud to support the Spotlight reports as a platform for sharing experience and accelerating progress across Africa.”

The Côte d’Ivoire report highlights strong gains in access and completion. Gross enrolment rates rose from 64% in 2000 to 93% in 2023, while primary school completion increased by 56 percentage points since 1990, reaching 78% in 2024. The report also notes advances in school leadership, with principals increasingly playing instructional roles and management committees now established in all surveyed schools.

Despite progress, the report identifies persistent learning challenges. About one‑third of pupils demonstrate only minimal reading and mathematics skills, even though teacher quality and learning materials exceed regional averages.

To address these gaps, the report recommends merit‑based recruitment of school principals, continuous professional development, reduced teaching loads to allow instructional leadership and stronger collaboration between schools, communities and local authorities. Initiatives such as Objectives and Performance Contracts and structured pedagogy under the National Programme for the Improvement of Foundational Learning are highlighted as promising foundations.

Minister of National Education, Literacy and Technical Training, N’Guessan Koffi, said access alone is insufficient. “Every child is born to learn. Stronger school leadership, better‑supported teachers and shared accountability are essential. We are ready to act,” he said.

UNESCO’s Head of Office in Abidjan, Mame Omar Diop, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting reforms alongside national authorities and the African Union.

The AU said Spotlight reports will continue to guide policy dialogue, supported by a new public policy dashboard comparing national education approaches.