HARARE, Jun. 3 (NewsDay Live) – Zimbabwe’s Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Frederick Shava, is attending the 18th e-Learning Africa Ministerial Round Table in Accra, Ghana, where African governments are pushing to reduce dependence on foreign-designed digital learning systems.
The June 3-5 gathering is being held under the theme: “Championing Sovereign, Innovative and United Learning Systems: Empowering Africa on Its Own Terms.”
The invitation-only forum brings together ministers and senior government officials from across the continent to discuss priorities shaping Africa’s education and digital transformation agenda, including artificial intelligence (AI) readiness, digital public infrastructure, sustainable financing for digital learning, teacher training, workforce development and youth employment.
Shava’s participation comes as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen its position within Africa’s emerging AI and digital education landscape.
Appointed to the higher education portfolio in October 2024 after serving as Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister and Zimbabwe’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Shava brings a blend of diplomatic and science-policy experience to discussions increasingly focused on technological sovereignty.
Zimbabwe also arrives in Accra with its recently launched National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026-2030, which aims to harness AI for inclusive growth, innovation and digital self-reliance.
Built around six strategic pillars, including AI talent development and computational infrastructure, the strategy seeks to expand AI education and research while strengthening national innovation institutions.
The country’s ambitions were underscored last month when Shava commissioned a US$350,000 National Information Access Centre at the Zimbabwe Open University.
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Established through a partnership with South Korea, the facility is equipped with an Nvidia GPU-powered AI server and is expected to support AI education, research and technology entrepreneurship.
More than 1,000 participants from over 80 countries are expected to attend the conference, including government officials, educators, technology innovators, investors, development agencies and private-sector leaders.
The event is being organised in collaboration with the African Union, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and UNESCO.
Ghana’s Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who is hosting the conference, has stressed the need for Africa to embrace technological transformation, warning that failure to keep pace with the digital revolution could have long-term consequences for the continent’s development.
That message resonates with Zimbabwe’s own AI strategy, which emphasises the country’s ambition to become a producer, rather than merely a consumer, of emerging technologies.
The ministerial round table is expected to explore policies and partnerships aimed at ensuring Africa’s digital transformation in education remains inclusive, sustainable and driven by African priorities.
The e-Learning Africa conference, launched in 2005, is the continent’s largest gathering of digital education and training professionals. Ghana last hosted the event in 2008.
