Victoria Kwakwa on scaling-up human capital investments in Africa

Africa is standing at a critical juncture when it comes to the development of its human capital. As the continent looks to the future, the need to invest in human capital has become more urgent than ever. In a recent interview with CNBC Africa, Victoria Kwakwa, Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa at the World Bank, shared her insights on the key takeaways and commitments made at the Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit in Tanzania. The summit brought together 18 heads of state and government to discuss strategies for scaling up human capital investments and tackling the issue of learning poverty. Kwakwa highlighted the importance of putting more resources into equipping the youth with skills and empowering girls to ensure comprehensive human capital development. One of the key commitments made at the summit was to reduce learning poverty by a quarter, a goal that will require a combination of actions across different areas. Kwakwa emphasized the significance of early childhood development and the quality of teachers in achieving this target. She stressed the need for boldness and a long-term perspective in addressing the challenges of developing human capital. The commitment of the heads of state to stay engaged and participate in discussions beyond the scheduled time underscores the level of determination to drive transformative change in human capital development on the continent.