HARARE, Oct. 13 — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday called on African countries to invest in skills development to accelerate Africa‘s economic growth and industrialization. Opening the Africa Skills Week 2026 in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Mnangagwa said human capital development and practical knowledge are key ingredients to Africa‘s growth and the realization of the “Africa we all want.” “It is my expectation that the Africa Skills Week will go a long way toward establishing skills development as the bedrock to drive industrialization, modernization, broad-based empowerment, employment creation and structural transformation on the continent,” Mnangagwa said. He noted that a decisive paradigm shift is required for Africa to transition from the culture of mere acquisition of theoretical education to embracing a new era where skills and appropriate capabilities propel value creation, industrial transformation and economic sovereignty. Mnangagwa urged the continent to operationalize the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2026-2035 and the African Continental Technical and Vocational Education and Training Strategy 2025-2034, while harnessing the full potential of its people and natural resources. “Undoubtedly, sustainable wealth and prosperity should be generated when our natural resources are combined with human skills, the absorption of technologies and practical industrial capabilities,” he said. Speaking at the opening, African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Gaspard Banyankimbona said Africa is at a moment of unprecedented opportunity as home to the world’s youngest and most dynamic population, stressing the need to harness its youth dividend. Noting that over 12 million young Africans enter the labor market every year while the formal economy absorbs only about 3 million, Banyankimbona said, “This space represents our greatest opportunity for innovation, entrepreneurship, and the creation of new, high-value industries.” The event runs from Monday to Friday under the theme “Skills for Resilient and Competitive African Industries: From Training to Value Creation.”
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