About

UNESCO's Priority Africa is an ambitious, multi-faceted initiative designed to unlock the continent's potential across critical areas essential for sustainable development.

By investing in education, preserving cultural heritage, promoting scientific and technological innovation, and ensuring access to information, UNESCO is committed to supporting Africa's journey towards prosperity and resilience.

A continent of the future

1.3 billion

people live in Africa

60%

of Africans

under 24 years old.

35%

of the world's youth

will be Africans by 2050.

25%

of the school-age population

is expected to be sub-Saharan by 2030.

UNESCO's focuses on five flagship programmes to address the continent's challenges and opportunities:

Campus Africa: reinforcing higher education in Africa
Aims to build integrated, inclusive, and quality tertiary education systems to develop equitable societies.
The General History of Africa (GHA) as a catalyst for achieving the Agenda 2063
Seeks to promote inclusive societies by transforming education, advancing historical research, and raising awareness of Africa’s narratives.

Fostering cultural heritage and capacity development
Supports African Member States in capacity building on World Heritage, combating illicit trafficking, and empowering communities, especially women, to protect Africa's rich cultural heritage.
Promoting the development and use of artificial intelligence in Africa
Improves the capacity of African countries to adopt and implement ethical AI solutions, enhances data governance, and fosters digital skills to bridge the cognitive and digital divide.
Harnessing science for sustainable development
Enhances Open Science, reinforces capacity building in basic and applied sciences, and strengthens innovation and technology development for ocean science, climate change resilience, and water resource management.