The immediate past Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has warned that Africa’s projected population growth of about 2.82 billion by 2060 could trigger a severe socioeconomic crisis unless governments at all levels rethink education, skills development, and employment systems.

Speaking at the 3rd Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Dialogue in London, he said Africa is entering a decisive period in which nearly 2 billion additional people would require education, employment, and integration into productive economies over the next three decades, warning that the continent’s current systems are not adequately prepared to meet the demands.

Obaseki said over 89 per cent of children in SubSaharan Africa are already in “learning poverty,” while millions remain out of school entirely, including an estimated 15 million children in Nigeria alone. He argued that without urgent investment in foundational learning, the continent risks producing a large but under-skilled workforce.

The summit convened ministers, policymakers, education experts and development partners to examine how countries can move beyond rhetoric and achieve practical gains in K-12 education systems.