Ghana will host the 2nd High-Level Conference on Scaling Education Initiatives in Emergencies (EiE) from September 29 to 30, 2026, in Accra. The conference, known as ACCELERATE+, is being organised by Associates for Change, a Ghana-based research think tank, in partnership with the Center for the Studies in the Economies of Africa (CSEA), Nigeria, and the Centre for Studies, Research and Training for Social and Economic Development (CERFODES), Burkina Faso.
The conference aims to promote the use of policy-relevant evidence to scale education innovations that improve access, learning, continuity, safety, and well-being for children and young people affected by crises. Experts and policymakers from Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Uganda, Europe, and Canada are expected to participate in the conference. The primary purpose of the conference is to address the persistent disruptions caused by armed conflict, displacement, climate-related disasters, public health emergencies, and socio-economic shocks that limit access to safe and quality education.
The conference will focus on five themes, including education in emergencies and resilient education systems; foundational learning, e-learning, inclusion, and educational innovation; and social protection, teacher well-being, and safe learning environments. Other themes are gender, youth, skills development, and transition to work, as well as education finance, domestic resource mobilisation, and innovative financing. Participants will examine which education innovations are ready for scaling, the conditions required for successful implementation, and policy and financing mechanisms needed to institutionalise them within national and regional education systems.
The Global Partnership for Education-supported KIX research programme under the International Development Research Centre is the key sponsor of the conference, together with NORRAG Global Education Centre. The conference provides a regional platform to advance the scaling of evidence-based education innovations in fragile, conflict- and violence-affected contexts across West Africa. Scaling means increasing the reach, uptake, and sustainability of proven education innovations beyond their original project settings, while adapting them to different contexts and needs.
According to the organisers, although research and successful education innovations are growing, translating them into policy, sustainable financing, and large-scale implementation remains a challenge. The statement noted that persistent disruptions continued to limit access to safe and quality education and undermine learning outcomes, particularly for girls and other marginalised children and young people. The conference seeks to accelerate the institutionalisation of proven solutions to enable more children and young people in crisis-affected communities across West Africa to access quality education.
The conference will bring together policymakers, researchers, education practitioners, innovators, development partners, and financing institutions from West Africa and beyond. The organisers believe that the conference will provide a platform for experts and policymakers to share knowledge and best practices in education innovations in emergencies. The outcome of the conference is expected to contribute to improving access to quality education for children and young people affected by crises in West Africa.
The statement said ACCELERATE+ sought to accelerate the institutionalisation of proven solutions to enable more children and young people in crisis-affected communities across West Africa to access quality education that supported their learning, safety, and future opportunities. The conference is expected to make a positive impact on education in emergencies in West Africa and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Key points
- The conference aims to promote the use of policy-relevant evidence to scale education innovations that improve access, learning, continuity, safety, and well-being for children and young people affected by crises.
- The conference will focus on five themes, including education in emergencies and resilient education systems; foundational learning, e-learning, inclusion, and educational innovation; and social protection, teacher well-being, and safe learning environments.
- The conference seeks to accelerate the institutionalisation of proven solutions to enable more children and young people in crisis-affected communities across West Africa to access quality education.
