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Nkengasong Urges Higher Education Investment as Employability Lags

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 4:26 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Dr John Nkengasong says African governments must treat higher education as a national investment.
He cites the Africa Workforce Readiness Survey 2025, where only half of employers rate graduates’ employability as very good.
He notes sub-Saharan countries spend 3.6 times more on debt than on education, limiting university research capacity.
He points to the Africa Higher Education for Transformation prize, awarding $500 million to 150 universities over the next decade.

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Story summary

Dr John Nkengasong says African governments must treat higher education as a national investment.
He cites the Africa Workforce Readiness Survey 2025, where only half of employers rate graduates’ employability as very good.
He notes sub-Saharan countries spend 3.6 times more on debt than on education, limiting university research capacity.
He points to the Africa Higher Education for Transformation prize, awarding $500 million to 150 universities over the next decade.