Dr Orlando Pereira Dia, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament Committee on Health and a Member of Parliament from Cabo Verde, has called on West African countries to allocate at least 30% of their national budgets to education, stating that such investment is key to driving local production and reducing dependence on developed nations.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday at the ongoing meeting of the Joint Committee on Education, Science and Culture, and Communication in Dakar, Senegal, Dr Dia said the role of parliaments, both national and regional, is to champion innovation and technology through education. Dia emphasised the importance of ECOWAS countries integrating innovation, information technology, and artificial intelligence into their education systems as a foundation for sustainable development.
He said prioritising EdTech would help West Africa become more self-sufficient by transforming local raw materials into finished goods, creating jobs and wealth. Dia said, “The role of the Parliament is the promotion of technology in education. I had to speak today about the need and the role of Parliament, of our Parliaments, both the ECOWAS Parliament and our national Parliaments, in the sense of promoting the education sector, technologies, and innovation, which are critical sectors for the process of economic and social development of our respective countries.”
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