3rd edition, following SIDEFPROM
EdTech Africa Forum 2027
Artificial intelligence and educational sovereignty: building intelligent, inclusive, job-creating African education
- Dates
- Venue
- Palais des Congrès, Cotonou · Benin, host country
- Organiser
- Organised by PROMOGO BENIN
The forum
Continental forum · AI & education
Africa is the world’s youngest continent. Artificial intelligence opens a historic opportunity: multiply teaching capacity, give labs to schools that have none and teach every child in a language they understand. The EdTech Africa Forum 2027 asks one question: how can AI become a lever for sovereignty, inclusion and jobs?
Context and stakes
The forum follows SIDEFPROM: Niamey 2022 (under the patronage of the President of Niger, 500+ participants, 15 conferences, 4 health schools digitised with WHO funding) and Cotonou 2023 (partners BOAD, African Union, AUDA-NEPAD; delegations from South Africa, Ethiopia, Niger and Togo; 70% of participants signed cooperation agreements).
Overall objective
Give Africa a shared policy, technical and financial framework to deploy AI in education and training, for sovereign education linked to employment. Anchored in Agenda 2063, the AU AI Strategy, CESA, AfCFTA, SDGs 4 and 8.
Featured PROMOGO solution
Suite SURA
The forum hosts the official launch of the SURA Suite, with a live offline demo of SURA eLAB.
DiscoverWhy now
The figures behind the forum
- of Africa’s population is under 25
- 60 %
- of children in sub-Saharan Africa cannot read a simple text at age 10 (World Bank)
- 89 %
- additional teachers needed by 2030 (UNESCO)
- 15 M
- young people enter the job market each year, for ≈ 3M jobs (AfDB)
- 10-12 M
Figures quoted in the forum’s official brief.
Priority themes
What will be discussed and decided
Public policy & education data
National AI-in-education strategies, protection of minors’ data, algorithmic ethics.
AI and African languages
Language corpora, multilingual models, mother-tongue teaching, accessibility.
Virtual, offline & low-tech labs
Simulation, local servers, energy, equipping TVET centres and universities.
TVET 4.0, employability & mobility
Standards, micro-credentials, recognition of qualifications within AfCFTA.
Higher education, research & innovation
Digital campuses, academic integrity in the generative AI era, technology transfer.
Financing & business models
Guarantees, universal service funds, PPPs, results-based financing, impact capital.
Objectives
Expected results
Cotonou Declaration
Target: 12 signatory countries on 16 September 2027.
Financing agreements
Target: 5 agreements or financing letters signed.
SURA pilot partnerships
Target: 10 partnerships signed by March 2028.
2028-2030 roadmap
Three-year roadmap and monitoring committee by December 2027.
- expected participants
- 1 200
- countries represented (target)
- 25
- ministers and official delegations (target)
- 80
- exhibition booths
- 40
- B2B / B2G business meetings
- 200
Forum figures and expected results are targets.
Source: Dossier de participation & partenariat EdTech Africa Forum 2027
Audiences
Who takes part
Governments
A shared framework, the Cotonou Declaration, and direct access to funders.
Banks & funders
A portfolio of bankable education projects.
International organisations
A concrete channel for Agenda 2063, SDG 4 and CESA.
Companies & telcos
200 B2B / B2G meetings with public buyers.
Startups & investors
EdTech Africa Challenge and EdTech Africa Awards.
Universities & schools
Ready-to-deploy tools and international partnerships.
Programme
Two days
Day 1 ·
- 09:00Plenary
Official opening ceremony
- 10:45Keynote
Can Africa leapfrog a technology generation?
- 11:15Panel 1
Ministerial: educational sovereignty, data governance and financing
- 12:45Launch
Official launch of the SURA Suite
- 15:00Panel 2
Financing African EdTech: instruments, guarantees, viable models
- 17:00Workshops
AI in African languages masterclass · bankable file · legal framework
- 19:30Gala
Official gala dinner and partners’ evening
Day 2 ·
- 09:30Panel 3
AI and African languages: learn in your language, succeed in your trade
- 11:30Demo
SURA eLAB live: a full offline practical on stage
- 12:15Session
Digitising school records with SURA SCHOLAR (authorities, ministries)
- 13:00B2B / B2G
Scheduled meetings: public buyers · suppliers · investors
- 14:30Panel 4
From virtual lab to job: TVET 4.0 and AfCFTA skills
- 17:10Closing
Adoption of the Cotonou Declaration, Awards, signing of agreements
Take part
Why attend or exhibit
Decide
Contribute to the Cotonou Declaration and the 2028-2030 roadmap.
Finance
Co-design the regional EdTech financing mechanism.
Deploy
Discover peer-reviewed, ready-to-deploy solutions.
Recruit and innovate
EdTech Africa Challenge, Awards and 600 trainers trained.