Unesco International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa - IICBA

Interested in free professional development? To meet the ongoing demand for flexible training, we are highlighting UNESCO IICBA's Virtual Campus, an e-learning platform with 20+ self-paced courses designed for educators across Africa.

Topics include:
Digital competencies
Gender-responsive pedagogy
Mental health & psychosocial support
Instructional design
Teacher licensing preparation

✅ Free ✅ Self-paced ✅ Accessible on any device ✅ Certificates available

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IICBA Virtual Campus IICBA Virtual Campus is a learning platform design by IICBA to support capacity building in teacher policy and teacher development African country members.

👋Call for resources - Teacher Professional Development Gender-Responsive Pedagogy

UNESCO IICBA is developing a compendium on Teacher Professional Development and Gender-Responsive Pedagogy, in collaboration with VVOB - education for development and FAWE Africa.

The initiative aims to bring together practical resources that support educators and policymakers in strengthening gender-responsive education practices.

We welcome contributions of research publications, training guides, eLearning courses, and other practical materials. To contribute, please complete this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2CLP5GN

Feel welcome to share within your networks.

Call for Resources: Gender Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) and Teacher Development Compendium Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

On March 28, the KIX Africa 19 Hub held a panel session at the Comparative and International Education Society 2026 conference in San Francisco: "Reforming Teacher Education for a Resilient and Peaceful Africa."

The session brought together speakers from UNESCO IICBA, National Teaching Council and the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities - AFTRA to examine how digital CPD platforms, teaching councils, and the African Union’s Continental Teacher Competency Framework are reshaping teacher education across the continent.

A major highlight of the discussion was the shift toward viewing teachers not just as educators, but as "agents of stability, inclusion, and peace." This is being realized through mandatory, credit-based systems, such as the one in Ghana, where professional development is anchored in national law.

Steve Nwokeocha of AFTRA noted that the countries making the most progress are those that have moved beyond fragmented training to establish formal national teaching councils and regulatory frameworks.

👋 Reminder: tomorrow, Thursday 30 April, UNESCO IICBA hosts Session 3 of the Africa Teachers' Webinar Series: "Preparing Pre-service Teachers for AI-Enabled and Digital Classrooms in Africa."

From 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM EAT (GMT+3), the session will feature speakers from the University of Lagos, the University of Pretoria, the Université de Lomé, and Mekelle University, with contributions from UNESCO HQ and the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities.

Register here: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/xrSVw4kXRlG0OEjvnEUIJw

On 22 April in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, UNESCO IICBA and partners, including Ambassade du Japon au Burkina Faso, marked the handover of ICT equipment to teacher training institutions in the country.

The ceremony is part of a regional project strengthening teacher capacities for continuous, inclusive, and safe quality education for girls in West Africa.

By equipping pre-service and in-service teacher training structures with digital tools, the initiative aims to broaden access to modern pedagogical methods, expand reach into underserved areas, and embed girls' education at the center of teacher preparation across the sub-region.

On 6 March 2026, UNESCO IICBA and the Japan - The Government of Japan signed a new three-year project to support out-of-school children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and South Sudan. With over 100 million children and youth out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, the initiative will implement Accelerated Learning Programmes to help learners re-enter formal education.

It will strengthen teacher training, establish safe learning spaces, and work with national governments to support long-term integration into education systems. The project is aligned with the African Union's Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2026-2035).

Read more: https://www.iicba.unesco.org/en/unesco-iicba-japan-and-african-union-launch-initiative-support-out-school-children

👋🏾Second round of the Training of Trainers workshop in Bishoftu, Ethiopia

From 30 March to 04 April, 2026 in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, UNESCO IICBA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Ethiopia, conducted the second round of a Training of Trainers workshop for teacher educators as part of the JSB-TICAD project, “Innovative Teacher Professional Development through App-based Learning in Conflict- and Crisis-Affected Areas of Ethiopia,” funded by Japan - The Government of Japan.

The workshop brought together 70 participants, including representatives the Ministry of Education, and experts from Kotebe University of Education (KUE), Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs), and Regional Education Bureaus (REBs) from the Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, and Tigray regions.

Ms. Aseged Miressa, Lead Executive Officer of Teachers and Leaders Development Executive at the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia, expressed appreciation for the support of UNESCO IICBA and the Government of Japan and emphasized the need to strengthen professional development in digital learning, particularly in crisis-affected contexts.

During the workshop, participants explored digital competency courses on IICBA’s digital platform through sessions designed to build basic digital skills, as well as skills for integrating free software into the classroom for teacher educators. They also engaged in pedagogical approaches tailored to teaching mathematics and English in crisis-affected contexts, delivered by KUE. Castalia facilitated demonstration sessions on its mobile app–based learning application, Goocus. Mr. Solomon Andargie from UNESCO IICBA briefed participants on the JSB-TICAD project activities and emphasized the need for collaborative work to achieve the expected results.

From 23 to 27 March 2026 in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, UNESCO IICBA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Ethiopia, conducted a Training of Trainers workshop as part of the project “Innovative Teacher Professional Development through App-based Learning in Conflict- and Crisis-Affected Areas of Ethiopia,” funded by Japan - The Government of Japan.
The workshop brought together 70 participants, including representatives from the Embassy of Japan in Ethiopia, the Ministry of Education, and experts from Kotebe University of Education (KUE), Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs), and Regional Education Bureaus (REBs) from the Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, and Tigray regions.
Mr. Saliou Sall, on behalf of UNESCO IICBA, welcomed participants and reaffirmed the Institute’s strong and ongoing commitment to the project. In her keynote, Ms. Yuka Ito from the Embassy of Japan in Ethiopia highlighted Japan’s support for educational transformation in Ethiopia, as well as its collaboration with the Japanese EdTech firm, Castalia Co. Ltd. Dr. Petros Melaku, representing the Ministry of Education, expressed appreciation for Japan’s contributions and emphasized the need to strengthen professional development in digital learning, particularly in crisis-affected contexts.
Participants explored digital competency courses on IICBA’s digital platform through sessions designed to build basic digital skills, as well as skills for integrating free software into the classroom for teacher educators. They engaged in pedagogical approaches tailored to crisis-affected contexts in subject areas such as Environmental Science and General Science, delivered by KUE. Castalia facilitated demonstration sessions on its mobile app–based learning application, Goocus. At the end of the workshop, Mrs. Asged Miressa, representing the Ministry of Education, engaged in discussions on future cascade training in each region.

On March 25, UNESCO launches the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report Unesco) — Countdown to 2030: Access and Equity, first in a three-part series to take stock of education progress.

The report found that the number of out-of-school children and adolescents worldwide has risen for the seventh consecutive year, reaching 273 million, due to population growth, crises, and budget cuts. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 of school age worldwide is excluded from education, and 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 complete secondary school. Yet many countries are making significant progress, with global enrolment increasing by 327 million, or 30%, in primary and secondary education since 2000 (equivalent to more than 25 additional children accessing school every minute). See the full report: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000397618_eng

Evidence only matters when it reaches decision-makers. UNESCO IICBA’s Africa Education Knowledge Platform offers close to 600 documents aligned with the African Union’s CESA 2026–35, plus new Data Briefs on completion rates by country and gender.
Explore: https://www.iicba.unesco.org/en/africa-education-knowledge-platform

March 19 is the International Day for Digital Learning. The 2026 theme: “Building Digital Futures for Public Education.”

At UNESCO IICBA, our Virtual Campus offers 20+ free courses for African educators — covering digital competencies, gender-responsive pedagogy, MHPSS, instructional design, violence prevention, and teacher licensing prep. Country-specific courses serve Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

Free. Self-paced. Accessible on any device. Explore: https://cvi.iicba.unesco.org



Photo credit: UNESCO/WeiweiKANG;MohammadMehedi,Kundra/Shutterstock.com

🌍 Webinar on eLearning Opportunities for Teacher Professional Development

Join the Africa Teachers Webinar Series – 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝟒: 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐈. This series explores how digital technologies and AI are transforming teacher preparation, supporting continuous professional development through e-learning, and shaping competency frameworks for educators.

📅 The second session, “𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞-𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬,” explores digital transformation of teacher professional development and the development of accessible and inclusive platforms for teacher training resources.

⏰Time: 3-5pm (GMT+3), March 26, 2026

🔗 Register here: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/xrSVw4kXRlG0OEjvnEUIJw
🎓 Attend all three sessions to receive 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

The series is co-sponsored by the African Union, Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities - AFTRA, the European Union’s Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa (EU-RTIA), and the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX), a joint endeavour with IDRC / CRDI, Canada. The webinar series is organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, which leads the GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub and is a partner in EU-RTIA.
The fourth set of webinars on Digital Skills and AI is supported in part by the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) and UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE).



🌍 Webinaire sur l’apprentissage en ligne pour le développement professionnel des enseignants
Rejoignez la Série de webinaires sur les Enseignants en Afrique – Unité 4 : Améliorer l’éducation en Afrique : le potentiel des compétences numériques et de l’IA. Cette série explore comment les technologies numériques et l’intelligence artificielle transforment la formation initiale des enseignants, soutiennent le développement professionnel continu grâce à l’e-learning et contribuent à l’élaboration de cadres de compétences pour les éducateurs.
📅 La deuxième session, intitulée « L’exploitation de l’apprentissage en ligne pour le développement professionnel des enseignants : des opportunités d’apprentissage tout au long de la vie », explore la transformation numérique du développement professionnel des enseignants et la création de plateformes accessibles et inclusives pour les ressources de formation des enseignants.
⏰ Heure : 15h00–17h00 (GMT+3), 26 mars 2026
🔗 Inscription : https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/xrSVw4kXRlG0OEjvnEUIJw
🎓 Participez aux trois sessions pour recevoir un certificat numérique de participation.

La série est organisée conjointement avec la Fédération Africaine des Autorités de Régulation de l’Enseignement, l’Union Africaine, la Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa de l’Union Européenne (EU-RTIA), et le programme Partage de connaissances et d’innovations du Partenariat Mondial pour l’Éducation (GPE KIX), une initiative conjointe avec le Centre de Recherche en Développement International du Canada. La série de webinaires est organisée par l’Institut international de l’UNESCO pour le renforcement des capacités en Afrique (IICBA), qui dirige le Hub Afrique 19 du GPE KIX et est partenaire de l’EU-RTIA.
Le quatrième cycle de webinaires sur les compétences numériques et l’intelligence artificielle bénéficie d’un soutien partiel du Centre international pour l’innovation dans l’enseignement supérieur, sous les auspices de l’UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI), ainsi que de l’Institut de l’UNESCO pour les technologies de l’information dans l’éducation (UNESCO IITE).