West Africa: Leaders warned over ‘lip service’ to education reform

A prominent Liberian lawmaker has warned West African leaders that failing to overhaul the region’s “mismatched” education system will continue to drive mass migration and youth unemployment. Samuel Reagen Enders, a member of the ECOWAS Regional Parliament, said political rhetoric must be replaced with concrete action to equip the next generation with practical skills. His comments came during a high-level meeting in Lomé, Togo, where representatives from across the 12-member bloc gathered to discuss aligning school curricula with the actual needs of the modern economy.

Practical skills, not just degrees

The West African region is home to one of the world’s youngest populations. However, many graduates find themselves with academic qualifications that do not translate into available jobs.”We have a huge number of young people in this sub-region,” Mr Enders said. “We need to be mindful that our people need to be educated—and not just academically. We are talking about practical skills that allow them to support their families.”He argued that the current disconnect is a primary driver for the “brain drain” and the dangerous journeys many young West Africans take to reach Europe or North America.”A lot of our population is leaving because there are no jobs. They are not equipped for the job market at hand,” he warned.

The dependency trap

Mr. Enders pointed to the irony of resource-rich nations relying on foreign expertise to manage their own industries. Using his home country as an example, he noted that while Liberia is heavily dependent on mining, it often lacks the local technicians required to maintain the complex machinery used in the pits. He cited similar issues in Nigeria’s gas sector. To fix this, he is calling for a “regional needs assessment” to identify specific labor gaps in:Mining and Extractive Industries, Telecommunications, Infrastructure and Technology

A call for unity

The lawmaker stressed that no single West African nation can solve the skills crisis in isolation. He urged ECOWAS members to view the region as a single, interconnected unit.”If you think Liberia is better without Ghana, then we are making a big mistake,” he said. “If we notice that our development depends on one another, then we start working together.”

The five-day summit in Togo is expected to produce a framework for regional educational standards, though skeptics remain concerned that, without funding and political will, the proposals may remain on paper.