AGP Executive Report

Mentorship for girls in Ghana: MENFYD’s Story of Our Lives Project mentored about 300 senior high school girls in Eastern Region, mixing life stories with sexual and reproductive health, mental health and substance-abuse education. WAEC pressure in Nigeria: A man who promised his brother a China scholarship if he passed WAEC is now waiting after the younger brother delivered strong 2026 results. Namibia veterinary training gets a boost: Finance Minister Erica Shafudah called UNAM’s Veterinary Academic Hospital a national asset, stressing its role in public health, zoonotic disease control and research. Kenya infrastructure push: Kenya’s Treasury urged engineers to move from design into economic planning as PPPs expand roads, housing, energy, water, ICT and healthcare. South Africa school transfer window: Western Cape Education opened transfers for 2027 (3–17 August), prioritising welfare, medical and legal needs. Ghana adolescent health gains: Right to Play’s SHARE project reported improved SRHR knowledge and service uptake in Ghana’s Upper East Region. Ebola readiness in DR Congo: Africa CDC called for village-level response to contain outbreaks. Education and AI policy: At EWTN Africa’s AI event, Catholic communicators were urged to use AI responsibly, with strict limits on what AI can do end-to-end. Girls’ football in Johannesburg: Region A’s Rabie Ridge tournament returned, giving 23 primary schools a platform for talent scouting and empowerment. UNAM and science careers: UNAM’s hospital focus ties education to real-world disease prevention and food safety.

Scholarship Push: Equity Group Foundation says 121 East African students (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DRC) have won fully funded places worth about $23.42m for 63 universities worldwide, with transition support for study abroad. Electricity Reliability: South Africa’s Basic Education Minister reports 397 public schools faced prolonged or complete power interruptions from April 2024 to March 2026, with Eastern Cape accounting for 324 cases. Skills for Work: UNESCO and Ethiopia’s TVET stakeholders met to assess digital skills gaps for teachers and trainees, aiming to strengthen digital teaching, leadership and workforce readiness. Governance in Training Sector: South Africa’s Higher Education minister orders an investigation into resignations at the MICT Seta after governance and planning lapses threatened continuity. Education Integrity & Trust: Nigeria’s WAEC Nigeria chief Amos Dangut reflects on reforms including computer-based WASSCE to curb malpractice, while private schools continue to challenge WAEC grading fairness. Infrastructure & Learning Context: Uganda’s EACOP pipeline hits 91% completion, underscoring how major projects keep reshaping regional development priorities.

Ebola Response in DR Congo: Africa CDC says the outbreak plan now prioritises village-level action, including free healthcare, stabilising health workers, and faster vaccine and treatment research, plus protecting next month’s school reopening. Regional Education Partnerships: Namcol and Zimbabwe Open University sign an MoU to expand open and distance learning through curriculum support, research, and student/staff exchanges. Digital Skills & AI for Learning: Nigeria launches a National Digital Training Academy to certify youths in advanced digital skills, while COMESA begins drafting a regional AI and digital inclusion strategy with a focus on education, healthcare and agriculture. Language for Innovation: East African Kiswahili Commission calls for Kiswahili research and harmonised university programmes so the language can contribute to AI and digital technology. School Access for Special Needs: Delta Governor’s wife extends autism-focused medical outreach to hundreds of families in Burutu, including assistive devices and specialist support. Student Achievement: Nigeria’s Experience International Smart Schools celebrates prom kings and queens with standout 2026 WAEC results shared publicly online. AfCFTA Awareness Gap: Afrobarometer finds only 13% of Africans know AfCFTA, despite strong support—highlighting a major gap between policymakers and citizens.

BRICS Education Diplomacy: India is set to chair the BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting in Bhubaneswar, with talks focused on early childhood education, TVET, research and innovation, and mutual recognition of qualifications. Scholarship & Skills Mobility: A Nairobi student, Shalin Kahihu Njeri, lands a US scholarship to pursue an MBA in Sustainability at the University of South Dakota. Women in Public Service: A South African female police leader reflects on how women’s opportunities have grown in policing, while still flagging barriers around family and career trade-offs. TB Care Tech: New research highlights that digital adherence tools can improve tuberculosis treatment success, using phone-based support plus adherence verification. AI & Ethics in Learning: Wits hosts a roundtable on ethical AI use in education across Africa and the Middle East, stressing transparency and accountability. School Sports Spotlight: Kenya’s St Joseph’s Girls Kitale and Kakamega High win KSSSA national football titles, with dramatic penalty shootouts. Migration Pressure on Schools: South Africa’s anti-migrant protests continue, raising concerns about social polarization and knock-on effects for access to services like education.

WAEC Integrity Push: WAEC released 2026 CBWASSCE results but withheld 167,486 results (8.5%) over alleged malpractice, while also rejecting claims of bias from private schools and pointing to exam-process checks. School Safety in Focus: South Africa’s Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile condemned armed attacks at Iphutheng Primary School and near Waverley Girls’ High School, stressing schools must stay safe spaces for learning. HIV Treatment Continuity: AIDS 2026 heard that in South Africa, interrupting HIV care sharply raises TB risk—even after restarting treatment—highlighting the need for stronger follow-up and support. Migration, Education, and Social Tension: Afrobarometer data shows nearly half of Africans have considered emigrating, driven mainly by jobs and poverty; meanwhile, South Africa’s anti-migrant protests persist, raising concerns about xenophobia and governance costs. Academic Freedom Watch: ACAF’s 2025 monitoring report flags heavy pressure on academic freedom across Africa, citing state repression, governance failures, and student harm. Cambridge Plagiarism Fallout: Cambridge professor Jason Arday resigned amid plagiarism and credential allegations, adding to scrutiny of university appointment and oversight processes. Student Life & Learning: Kenya’s Kakamega School reclaimed the KSSSA Boys’ football title, while WAEC results disappointment in Nigeria continues to spark talk of retakes.

Exam Integrity & Results: WAEC says a viral “list of 50 schools” with withheld 2026 WASSCE results is fake, as it also reports 61.54% of candidates scored at least five credits (including English and Maths) and withholds 167,486 results over alleged malpractice. School Safety & Discipline: South Africa faces renewed scrutiny after school safety raids found knives and vaping devices, while an opinion piece argues parents can’t outsource discipline to the state. University Governance: Fort Hare’s crisis spotlights deeper flaws in university governance models, raising questions about councils and accountability. AI in Education & Skills: Ghana’s TVET gets a boost via UNESCO and GETFund for AI/digital skills, while Nigeria and UNESCO back digital teacher training to strengthen learning. Health Workforce: ECOWAS Bank urges African governments to invest in health professionals, pointing to a projected global shortage and calling for AI-enabled diagnostics and health tech. Sports & Youth: Kenya’s KSSSA boys’ final is set after Kakamega High and St Mary’s Yala win semis, and pupils bring AI and influencer culture to life in an original theatre musical. Policy & Migration: Anti-migrant protests in KZN target foreign-owned businesses, while experts warn xenophobia has an economic cost.

Pan-African Football & Youth CSR: Nigeria legend Daniel Amokachi has been unveiled as 22Bet’s Pan-African Brand Ambassador, with plans tied to youth empowerment, grassroots football, education and healthy living. South Africa Schooling & Admissions: Gauteng’s 2027 online admissions opened fast, with 210,055 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications logged within hours, showing strong demand for digital school placement. WAEC Exam Integrity: WAEC says 167,486 candidates’ 2026 WASSCE results were withheld over malpractice, citing phone use in halls and organised cheating, while stressing “withheld” is not automatically “cancelled.” Higher Education Access: NSFAS has approved second-semester registrations for 26,159 new students and 79,118 top-ups across Unisa and six universities of technology. Climate & Health Education: A new study finds climate change is reshaping malaria risk across Africa—worsening in some areas while easing in current hotspots—highlighting why health planning must be location-specific. AI Learning in Kano: A Kano tech hub is expanding inclusive AI education, including internationally recognised AI certifications, aiming to reach learners often left out.

Nigeria Security & Schools: Nigeria plans a major military expansion—up from eight to 12 divisions and adding 28,000 troops—after years of attacks that include kidnappings of schoolchildren, as the government faces mounting election pressure. Ghana AI for Health: Ghana is positioning itself as a continental trailblazer with an AI for Health programme backed by WHO and UN partners, aiming to strengthen disease surveillance and health system resilience. Kenya Education Planning: Kenya is looking to learn from China’s Five-Year Plans as it maps a long-term transformation agenda beyond Vision 2030. School Safety in South Africa: Gauteng education officials, with police, seized knives, a fork, scissors and vapes in a search at Badirile Secondary School, amid complaints of violence and gangsterism. Child Nutrition Crisis: South Africa’s child malnutrition problem is worsening despite food production, with stunting linked to poorer learning and long-term health risks. Oprah Academy Shift: Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls will close after 2027, with a new scholarship push expected to reach more girls across South Africa. Nigeria Climate Literacy: UNILAG is convening universities to embed climate literacy across curricula, using a new toolkit for curriculum transformation. Renewables Skills in Nigeria: Tinubu commissioned Africa’s first renewable energy college and a green hydrogen pilot plant in Kogi to build technical skills for the energy transition.

School Safety & Child Protection: KZN teachers’ unions back faster vetting of public-school staff against South Africa’s National Child Protection Register after a court settlement tied to past abuse cases. Violence in Schools: Gauteng police raided Badirile Secondary School in Khutsong, seizing knives, vapes and drugs, as the MEC warned against “anarchy” in schools. Education & Gender Equity: ECOWAS plans to roll out a Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions next year, aiming to push gender-responsive governance across regional bodies. Women in STEM & Leadership: South Africa highlights women driving scientific innovation, while commentary stresses that Women’s Month progress still leaves patriarchy and inequality intact. Learning for Inclusion: Nigeria hosts Africa’s first Wheelchair Fencing Academy for persons with disabilities, running Aug 5–7. Health & Learning Risk: A study flags rising childhood malaria risk in parts of South Africa, including KZN, urging stronger surveillance and prevention. Renewable Energy Skills: Nigeria inaugurates Africa’s first renewable energy college in Kogi to train for green hydrogen and clean power careers. Innovation Competitions: Kenya hosts the China-backed university innovation competition, pushing student solutions in food security and healthcare.

School Safety & Anti-Racism: South Africa’s Western Cape Education Department launched an investigation after an alleged racial slur (“k-word”) during a rugby match between Fairmont High and The Settlers, with video footage set to be reviewed and counselling support offered. Higher Education Funding: Kenya’s Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology opened applications for 18 ADF-funded STEM scholarships (bachelor’s and master’s), closing 18 August 2026. University Scholarships (Kenya): Garissa University also announced 10 AfDB-supported openings for graduate assistant, tutorial fellow and leather-technology training roles, with applications due 18 August. Teacher Security: Gauteng Education reported the fatal shooting of a Michael Zulu Primary School teacher in Tsakane while he walked with learners, with police investigating. STEM & Skills for Youth: WashU Law, the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam and Wickard launched AI education programmes in Tanzania, focusing on responsible use, governance and equitable access. Women in Business & Education: South Africa’s Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards honoured Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa (sanitary pads) and Pretty Kubyane (agri-tech), including support for schoolgirls.

Higher Education & Accountability: South Africa’s Unisa is pushing back after author Jackie Phamotse raised claims about staff deaths and alleged burnout, calling the reports deliberate misinformation. Migration & Schooling: Gauteng schools have seen hundreds of foreign pupils leave after anti-migrant protests, while principals cite safety concerns. Legal Pathways in Education Rights: An African Court judge in Ghana urged people to exhaust domestic legal remedies before taking cases to the continental court, reinforcing how rights disputes should move through national systems first. Women in Leadership: Rwanda launched an African Academy for Women in Political Leadership in Kigali, with UNDP and AU partners backing a first cohort of 40 women. Learning for Skills & Work: Ghana’s MobileMoney Fintech says students need lifelong, future-ready digital and interpersonal skills to stay employable as work changes. School Community Impact: South Africa mourns a Grade 10 learner after a fatal car accident, underscoring how quickly school communities can be hit. Education, Language & Identity: Ghana’s Vice President Opoku-Agyemang backs indigenous languages and literature as key to early learning and preserving Africa’s identity. Sports as Development: Bayelsa raised prize money for its Scrabble classic and plans to bring the game into secondary schools.

Higher Education Reform (Ghana): UCC Chancellor Sam Jonah told universities to stop treating AI as “another course” and instead redesign learning around practical competence, warning that if universities only “transmit knowledge,” they’ll be obsolete. Vocational Degrees (Ghana): He also urged UCC to launch Africa’s first full faculty of degree-awarding vocational education—Bachelor and Master degrees in Applied Skills—so graduates prove real-world ability, not just theory. School Disruption (South Africa): Anti-migrant protests in Gauteng have led to hundreds of foreign pupils leaving schools, with families returning home after tense scenes in classrooms. STEM Learning (Nigeria): STEM Africa Fest 2026 reached 3,800+ learners across 119 schools, turning STEM into hands-on building with robotics, coding, drones and AI. Health Coverage (Kenya): Kenya is pushing to bring sickle cell care into universal health insurance, focusing on early diagnosis, treatment access and continuous coverage. Migration Pressure (Europe/Africa): Spain’s Ceuta border surge—linked to Morocco—has reignited EU migration debate and legal questions after a Supreme Court shift on returns. Religious School Abuse (Senegal): A report highlights boys forced into street begging from Qur’anic schools, with rights groups calling it trafficking for forced begging. Mobility Support (UK/Africa): STAND’s Legs on Tour 2026 will collect donated prosthetic legs in Hull to refurbish and ship them to amputees across sub-Saharan Africa.

Education recovery: Jamaica’s Waterford Primary says it’s seeing better learning outcomes by leaning on “passion and patience” as part of the National School Learning and Intervention Programme (NSLIP), which supports previously underperforming schools with extended learning, teacher support, and performance tracking. STEM & health: A new Nature study warns climate change is shifting childhood malaria risk—rising temperatures may increase risk in southern and East Africa while easing it in today’s hottest hotspots. AI governance in higher education: Nigeria’s NAAIP symposium calls for national “AI guardrails” for tertiary institutions, pushing for updated rules, stronger data protections, and shared high-compute capacity. Girls’ education funding shift: South Africa’s Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will close its Henley-on-Klip campus at the end of 2027 and move to a nationwide scholarship model to reach far more girls through top schools. School safety & environment: Kenya’s Kenyatta National Hospital defends removing decayed acacia trees, saying it was needed to protect patients, staff, visitors, and marabou storks. Sports as learning: Kenya’s National Music Festival in Bungoma draws 140,000+ learners, with performances designed to build leadership and confidence through music and dance.

University Governance Scandal: Eswatini Medical Christian University’s probe into its own crisis is hit by allegations that MPs on a parliamentary committee accepted EMCU-funded payments while investigating corruption and governance failures. Digital Skills for Girls: Ghana’s Tech for Girls push faces a funding gap, with organisers calling for more investment to scale coding and digital training for young women. AI and Language Access: BYU’s Pathsay project is collecting large amounts of speech and text data for low-resource African and other languages to expand translation tools beyond the “top” languages. DRC Health Protection: Virunga National Park in eastern DRC is strengthening Ebola response with health checkpoints and paramedics to protect both communities and mountain gorillas. Education System Capacity: Nigeria’s education crisis is framed as a system capacity problem—overcrowded classrooms and weak infrastructure—despite rising enrolment. Scholarships on Emancipation Day: Barbados announces new postgraduate scholarships tied to Black Studies and reparatory justice, linking education to freedom and knowledge. Cross-Border Tragedy: Zimbabwe’s President declares a State of Disaster after a bus crash in South Africa killed 11 Zimbabweans, triggering repatriation and survivor support. Gender Institutions: ECOWAS urges member states to strengthen national gender mechanisms with better capacity and financing to speed up gender equality. Oprah Academy Closure: Oprah Winfrey’s South Africa girls’ academy will close at year-end, with students guaranteed support to finish.

AI & Digital Sovereignty: US officials renewed claims of Chinese AI model “distillation,” but leading researchers say the alleged timeline is technically unrealistic and the case lacks publicly verifiable technical proof. Elections & Education Access: Nigeria’s INEC began publishing 2027 presidential candidates’ credentials; Tinubu’s forms reportedly show blank primary/secondary fields while listing university details, keeping scrutiny on documentation and transparency. School Governance & Safety: Nigeria’s JAMB leadership transition was celebrated after reforms, while South Africa’s social development department warned that fake overseas job offers are being used to trap youth in trafficking and forced crime. Girls’ Education: Oprah Winfrey’s South Africa girls’ academy will close after the 2027 academic year, shifting to a broader scholarship model. Regional Integration: South Africa’s Ramaphosa will deliver a public lecture on implementing SADC Vision 2050, focusing on human capital and shared prosperity. Climate Learning: Nigeria’s UBEC and ACEARD launched climate change education training for greening schools in Abia State. Intellectual Property & Learning Services: OAPI rejected AFP’s opposition to a Cameroon journalist’s “AFO + Logo” trademark, ruling the marks can coexist without confusion.

Migration & Rights: Amnesty warns Spain must put human rights first as migrants are pushed back after deadly crossings into Ceuta, highlighting how education and youth futures get derailed by conflict at borders. Civic Education & Participation: South Africa’s IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo says the country may need to review political party registration as the register tops 600, raising questions about whether “more parties” strengthens democracy or muddies it. Teacher Workforce & School Life: In a local retirement feature, a music teacher and teaching assistant clock up decades of service, underscoring how school support staff shape student confidence and learning. Higher Education Access: Nigeria’s JAMB hands over leadership from Is-haq Oloyede to Segun Aina, a key moment for millions of candidates relying on admissions rules. Digital Skills for Out-of-School Youth: Nigeria’s Almajiri-to-Tech programme graduates 21 former Almajiri children with hands-on tech training, aiming to tackle out-of-school crises through practical skills. Health & Learning: Liberia’s “kush” drug crisis is pulling teenagers out of school, with families describing addiction as a direct threat to education and futures. Connectivity Costs: South Africa faces renewed scrutiny over high communications costs, with a planned market study that could lead to tougher telecom pricing interventions. Inclusion in Learning: Wise Owl learners practice sign language with Deaf College Africa, showing how early inclusion training can reduce communication barriers.