Edward Boateng, the Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) has emphasised the transformative power of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in driving industrialization and economic growth in Africa. Addressing delegates at the 3rd China – Africa Economic expo held from June 29th to July 2nd, 2023 in Changsha, Hunan China, he shared examples of strategic cooperation between China and Africa which inspires hope and evidence of a path of mutual benefit.
Mr. Boateng, who previously served as Ghana’s Mr. to the People’s Republic of China, expressed his delight at participating in the expo and the seminar, recounting the deep affection and memories he had experienced during his tenure. He highlighted the longstanding history of relations between China and Africa in the field of education, describing China’s monumental support as leaving a deep footprint in virtually every country on the continent.
It is worth noting that Mr. Boateng was one of the key implementing pioneers of the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) during his tenure as Ghana’s Mr. to the People’s Republic of China, a position he held from June, 2017 to September 2020. CAETE was one of the pillars proposed by President Xi Jinping during the 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation as a part of the broader concept of a community of a shared future for development under the Belt and Road Initiative. CAETE has over the period of its establishment worked under very insightful and practical themes; including technology, agriculture, resource management, education, and many more. This year’s expo had TVET as one of its themes of deliberation.
Recognizing TVET as a critical pillar of national development, Mr. Boateng emphasized its potential to harness and sustain a country’s industrial strength and creative abilities. He underlined that skill development not only enables decent jobs and livelihood, but also increases revenue generation for individuals and expands the tax bracket for the nation. He stressed the worldwide importance of TVET, citing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 Framework for Action.
Mr. Boateng drew attention to China’s exceptional TVET program, highlighting its potential as a game changer, as seen by the country’s unparalleled industrialization. He also emphasized China’s assistance to different African countries, particularly Ghana, in the TVET sector. Ghana has embarked on a large effort to create TVET centers across the country, with support from Chinese organizations, under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Mr. Boateng expressed optimism that similar support schemes were being implemented elsewhere on the continent and would contribute to the continent’s development.
Concerning the future of TVET in Africa, Mr. Boateng advocated for a break in the “silo-like” structure of TVET and General Education in African countries, emphasizing the necessity for vertical and horizontal synergy between the two systems. He mentioned the progress made in Ghana under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, where technical school graduates are no longer required to take additional general education courses to attend university. Ghana seeks to establish an integrated approach that optimizes resources and propels sustainable development by linking TVET and General Secondary Education. He encouraged participants at the seminar to consider how best to replicate the Chinese TVET model in their individual nations, and expressed his confidence that the seminar’s discussions will yield productive results and pave the way for significant changes in TVET across Africa.
As African countries strive to collaborate and increase intra-continental trade through strategic initiatives like the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), such insights and calls for investment and collaboration in TVET are critical to preparing Africa’s human resource for the expected industrialization wave.
Ghana’s Mr. to China, Dr. Winfred Nii Okai Hammond, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and government officials from Africa and China were also in attendance at the Expo.
