ADEA signs MoU with IsDB on cooperation in the education sector in Africa

Published on Friday, 22 September 2017
Group Photo: (In the center) H.E. Dr. Bandar M. H. Hajjar, President, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group posing for a picture with ADEA’s delegation members.
Photo: (On the right) ADEA’s Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Shem Bodo and IsDB’s Vice President (Sector Operations), Dr. Mansur Muhtar exchanging the signed MoU in the presence of South Sudan Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, AfDB’s Director for Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development, and ADEA’s Senior External Relations and Strategic Partnership Officer. Photo credit: ADEA.

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 22nd September 2017 - The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) signed on 14th September in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the education sector in Africa, aimed at supporting common Member Countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

The Vice President (Sector Operations), Dr. Mansur Muhtar and the Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Shem Bodo, signed the MoU for IsDB and ADEA respectively in the presence of Hon. Yien Oral Lam Tut, the Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of South Sudan who led a High Level Ministerial Delegation of the ADEA Steering Committee to IsDB from 12th to 16th September 2017. The delegation comprised of the Director for Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development in the African Develop Bank Group, Ms. Oley Dibba-Wadda, the Senior External Relations and Strategic Partnership Officer, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, and the Education Attaché of the Republic of South Sudan. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Zamir Iqbal, IsDB’s Special Envoy on SDGs and Senior Adviser to the IsDB President, Dr. Rami Mahmoud Saeed, the Adviser on Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Hyat Sindi and the Education Division Manager, Dr. M. Abderahman Beddi.

The visit is a follow up to the outcome of the ADEA Triennale held in Dakar in March 2017 where the two institutions committed to collaborate in the education sector in common Member Countries. The MoU serves as a framework to facilitate cooperation in areas of common interest notably advocacy and knowledge sharing, and cooperation on increasing the capacity and mobilizing resources for education systems in Africa.

The two-day discussions identified, in the short to medium term, the road map for collaboration which highlights a strong commitment to the establishment of the African Education Fund (AEF) initiated by ADEA, leveraging on opportunities offered by ADEA as a unique policy platform of networks for greater outreach. The African Education Fund is a unique African initiative aimed at mobilizing sustainable funding mechanism to finance education in the continent.

About IsDB

The purpose of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is to foster socioeconomic development in its Member Countries and Muslim communities in non-Member Countries with the ultimate goal of promoting human development through investments in priority areas such as education, poverty reduction, health and governance.​

About ADEA

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is a forum for policy dialogue and a genuine partnership between African ministries of education and external partners. Its vision is an Africa with high quality education and training geared towards the promotion of critical knowledge and skills for accelerated and sustainable development. The African Development Bank Group hosts ADEA.​

Media contacts:

  • Mr. Stefano De Cupis, Senior Communications Officer, ADEA, s.decupis@afdb.org
  • Mr. Jawara Gaye, Lead Education Specialist, Human Development Department, IsDB,  JGaye@isdb.org

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