The 11th E-Learning Africa Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training jointly organized by the Egyptian Government, Oracle, African Union amongst other reputable global institutions took place from May 24 – 26, 2016 in Cairo, Egypt ; with me being one of the keynote speakers at this event to lead the Discussion on “Restarting Africa’s Education through Tech with Innovation and a Digital Revolution”.
I spoke on the basis of my experience as Founder of Passnownow.com – an internet website that provides free, accessible, and easy-to-use educational content for secondary school students in Nigeria – on how technology innovations can be successfully used to provide access to high quality education to students across Africa, especially the educationally under-served. Beyond talk, I showed “how numbers support such assertions, based on metrics from four years of continuous operation.” with Passnownow.com itself owning its space as one of the most prominent and reliable online education destinations on the Continent.
Such is the objective of the conference, which remains the largest gathering of e-learning and ICT-supported education professionals in Africa, and aims to facilitate networking between practitioners and professionals.
In this vein, the conference played host to other keynote speakers drawn from across Africa with varied strengths and experiences. Included, though not limited to this list are Foster Ofosu, Knowledge and Capacity Development Specialist at the African Development Bank, Toby Shapshak, from South Africa, who has written and spoken on media platforms like CNN, Forbes and SXSW, H.E. Yasser Elkady, the Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology and HE Elham Mahmood Ahmed Ibrahim, the African Union Commissioner for Energy and Infrastructure.
Following the report from last year’s conference, which showed how participants were helped to map the pace of change in technology use on the continent, and how their unique contributions can accelerate that upward momentum; this year’s conference, aptly themed “Making Visions Reality” sought to achieve much more.
By bringing together decision makers and practitioners from across the education, business and public sectors, the conference arrived at resolutions that will help make participants take action on all the themes of the conference within their respective spheres of influence, while also acting as evangelists of E Learning and Education Technology.
And in reaching out to Africa’s youth in this way – through access to education and empowerment driven by innovative technology – I desire to see “how like a stone dropped into a placid lake, the ripples of change will spread.”
Passionately discussing the Role of Technology in the advancement of Education in Africa
With Dr Harold Elletson, Editor of the eLearning Africa Report, UK
From Left to Right: Dr Harold Elletson, Editor of e-learning Africa Report, UK, Dr Maggy Beukes-Amiss, Director of Centre for Open, Distance and e-learning (CODeL) University of Namibia, Mr Foster Ofosu, Knowledge and Capacity Development Specialist at the African Development Bank Group, Ivory Coast, Dr Amany Asfour, President of the Egyptian Federation of Business & Professional Women and Secretary General of the African Society for Scientific Reasearch and Technology (ASSRT), Egypt, Dr Mor Seck, Organisation and Public Management Adviser within the Bureau for Organisation and Methods of the President Office, Senegal
With Professor Moses Oketch, Professor of International Education Policy and Development University College of London Institute of Education
Left: Victor Murage, Regional Director of Black board – West Africa and Right: Massimo Morigi, Manager and International PR of Black Board
Delivering my Presentation
With a Mwabu representative during a demo presentation of their interactive learning tab
Responding to a Question from one of the Participants
Left to Right (Behind): Dr Jerome Terpase Dooga, e/merge Africa Regional Coordinator for West Africa, e/merge team member, Engr. Adejare Amoo, Managing Director Corporatemind Associates Nigeria- Front: Misan Riwane, CEO/Founder West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE) and Mbala Lumpini Espoir, Founder Fondation Les Beatitudes
Speaking to the media
Engaging the Participants
With Dr Amany Asfour, President of the Egyptioan Federation of Business & Professional Women and Secretary General of the African Society for Scientific Reasearch and Technology (ASSRT), Egypt.
With Rania Reda, Managing Director at Collie Tec
Passnownow, Africa’s premiere eLearning website
With Dr Maggy Beukes-Amiss, Director of Centre for Open, Distance and e-learning (CODeL) University of Namibia and Mbala Lumpini Espoir, Founder Fondation Les Beatitudes
With a WILEY representative
With other participants
With Mohamed Moneim, Director – International Business Development at SkillBuild
Listening to another speaker’s presentation
From Left to Right: H.E. Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama, Consellor of the American University in Cairo Egypt, Dr Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria Egypt and Toby Shapshak, Journalist, Editor, Columnist and Strategist South Africa.
From Left to Right: H.E. Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama, Consellor of the American University in Cairo Egypt, Dr Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria Egypt and Toby Shapshak Journalist, Editor, Columnist and Strategist South Africa.
With Matthew Santaspirt, Sales and Market Development Director at Dubai Media City
With Maha Bali, Professor at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
With Misan Riwane, Founder and CEO of West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE)
With Carla Aerts, Director of Futures University College London (UCL) Institute of Education
Granting an Interview to the Media
Giving my presentation
With Mwabu Team
What is a School? – An interesting question for the Audience to ponder on
With Foster Nicholas Ofosu, Capacity Development Specialist at African Development Institute
With Rebecca Stromeyer, Founder of E-Learning Africa
Sharing Passnownow.com as a case study
At the E-Learning Gala dinner
Registration stand for Participants
Cultural performance at the Gala dinner
Cross section of Participants
Participants listening to a speaker’s presentation
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