The three-day Summit, led by the Ministries of Education and Communication, will bring together more than 40 Ministers and governments officials across Africa to discuss issues of Education and Technology.

Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, the Minister of Education, who launched the Summit, in Accra on Thursday, expressed the readiness for the event and urged stakeholders to take advantage of the opportunity to harness and maximise its benefits.

He said Ghana was committed to leading the continent by leapfrogging to fill the gaps in education infrastructure, pushing Science and Technology innovation, promoting accountable and progressive governance and embracing readily-available digital prowess.

The Free Senior High School policy, he said, had expanded opportunities for Ghanaians to enroll in school and contribute positively to national socio-economic development.

Ghana's accomplishments in advancing access to quality education over the past decades, he said, had been phenomenal.

Youth literacy rate jumped from 71 per cent in 2000 to 86 per cent in 2010, he stated; while the Gross Enrolment Rate in secondary education increased from 57 per cent in 2012 to 73 per cent in 2017. 

The Minister said the Summit would bring huge benefits to the nation's innovation drive because member states would share ideas and learn from best practices and inculcate them in their policies.

Dr Opoku-Prempeh said Africa had much to offer the world in terms of its youthful and energetic population, adding that, in an age of globalisation, it was good for governments across the continent to join efforts to harness these energies through education and skills training.

Mr John Glassey, the Chief Executive Officer, African Brains, organisers of the Summit, said prioritising Information Technology would foster the creation of the digital space for transformational development.

He said the Summit, for the past years, had served as an active proponent of emerging markets and harnessed the potential of the fourth industrial revolution.

Mr Glassey emphasised that through Science, Technology and practical skills training, the country could offer young people the hope for a bright and secure future.