GHANA TO HOST 2025 ADEA TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA; Accra to welcome over 350 participants, 30 African Education Ministers, and global partners in October 2025
Accra, October 15, 2025 — The Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that Ghana will host the 2025 Triennial Conference of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA). The high-level continental event will be held from October 29 to 31, 2025, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, bringing together over 350 participants, including more than 30 Ministers of Education from across Africa.
The conference, themed “Charting the Resilience of Africa’s Educational Systems: Advancing Towards Ending Learning Poverty by 2035 with a Well-Educated and Skilled Workforce for the Continent and Beyond”, will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, peer learning, and partnership building.
In his remarks at a press conference held at the Ministry of Education, Hon. Iddrisu stated that the Triennial will feature high-level representatives from the World Bank, African Development Bank, UNESCO, the Gates Foundation, the MasterCard Foundation, FCDO, senior policymakers, researchers, and academia. Discussions will focus on enhancing foundational learning, leveraging technology, advancing technical and higher education, and developing strategies to end learning poverty in Africa by 2035.
“Artificial intelligence will affect the way we learn, the way we teach, and the way education is governed into the future. This conference will help us situate Ghana and Africa at the center of that conversation,” the Minister said.
He added that Ghana, with support from partners such as the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), has made significant progress in reintegrating out-of-school children through various interventions and remains committed to ensuring equitable access and quality in education delivery.
The Triennial will be officially opened by His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, with Hon. Haruna Iddrisu welcoming delegates on behalf of the government.
Addressing School Placement and Infrastructure Gaps
Responding to questions on the ongoing school placement challenges, the Minister acknowledged the pressure created by limited vacancies in top-tier schools.
“When you have 76,000 vacancies and 393,000 applicants, there’s bound to be difficulty,” he explained.
To promote fairness and access, Hon. Iddrisu revealed that by 2026, the Ministry intends to convert 10 Category A schools into Category B, and 10 Category B schools into Category A, backed by infrastructure expansion and quality improvements. He further noted that four regions — North East, Savannah, Oti, and Western North — currently have no Category A schools, a gap the Ministry plans to address through deliberate infrastructure support.
Recruitment of Unpaid Teachers
Hon. Iddrisu also announced that the government has approved the absorption of 6,200 teachers who had been working without pay. The Ministry of Finance, he disclosed, has authorized a budget of GH¢1.1 billion to cover both the education and health sectors.
“These teachers will soon receive their staff IDs and arrears. There will be no need for further picketing,” he assured.
The Education Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to equitable education delivery, infrastructure expansion, and improved learning outcomes, emphasizing Ghana’s readiness to lead Africa’s education reform dialogue at the upcoming ADEA Triennial.
Story by Eugene Kwasi Nyarko
