Higher Education in Africa

Shanta Devarajan is the World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa. One of the primary ways that he suggests overcoming poverty in Africa is through higher education. He feels that higher education has been neglected while more emphasis has been placed on primary education. Every year there are about 7-10 million young people in Africa searching for jobs. Devarajan in junction with the World Bank and an organization called Africa Gathering have banded to together in search of answers. One of their first moves is to get to the root of the problem. In order to do so they have organized three meeting across Africa: Friday, April 20 in Accra, Ghana; Tuesday, April 24 in Nairobi, Kenya; and Friday, April 27 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. What is unique about these meetings is that they are reaching out to young people to attend and brainstorm with them on the issue. The World Bank is in search of answers and they hope to get them by asking the people who are most affected. With this real-time feedback the World Bank plans on creating a report on youth employment in Africa. One of the most discussed topics in these meetings will be higher education.