eLearning Africa 2016, the eleventh edition of the annual international conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training in Africa, launched on 24 May under the auspices of H.E. Yasser Elkady, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology. The event’s theme was “Making Vision Reality. It was hosted by the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and its executive IT arm, ITIDA (Information Technology Industry Development Agency).
This conference is the largest and most comprehensive pan-African networking event for the promotion of ICT-enhanced education and training. Senior government officials, decision makers and experts from the education and public sectors, multinational corporations, education and training consultancy firms, investors, donor agencies, and academic institutions from all around the world gather at the event to discuss and take action together on crucial issues that will impact the future of the Continent. These include the availability of technology, openness, skills development, pedagogy, education, sustainable development and best practices in these fields.

The African Union’s Vision for Africa 2063 was conceived with the understanding that there is no way to develop without innovation; there is no way to innovate without the availability of knowledge; and there is no way to access knowledge without ICT-infrastructure development. This must be accompanied by the strengthening of ties between African nations and their peoples and with the rest of the world. This is of critical importance, and it can only be achieved with the aid of ICT. Setting the groundwork for this is precisely the aim of this unique meeting.

After this year’s plenary, the minister toured the event exhibition, which featured the latest products and services in the education sector. They were offered by organisations from thirteen countries, comprised of forty international exhibitors and six Egyptian companies that specialise in education solutions and technologies.