Dr Apaak Urges Evidence‑Based Education Investments in Emergencies
Deputy Education Minister Dr Clement Apaak calls for data‑driven funding to protect children’s learning during crises across West Africa.
Deputy Minister for Education Dr Clement Apaak has urged African governments, policymakers and development partners to channel resources into education programmes backed by solid research, especially when emergencies strike.
Speaking at the Second High‑Level Conference on Scaling Education Initiatives in Emergencies (EiE) West Africa – ACCELERATE+ in Accra, Dr Apaak warned that many emergency education responses have been driven by panic rather than proof. He argued that without evidence, scarce funds can be squandered and interventions may fail the very children they aim to help.
He highlighted the growing convergence of shocks in West Africa – insecurity in the Sahel, climate‑linked disasters, mass displacement, health outbreaks and economic strain – all of which continue to interrupt schooling. The minister pointed out that these impacts hit girls, children with disabilities, rural families and other vulnerable groups hardest, jeopardising not only learning but also protection, nutrition and future prospects.
Dr Apaak therefore called on all stakeholders to rely on data and research to decide which programmes work, for whom, at what cost and under what conditions. He stressed that the ACCELERATE+ forum offers a unique chance for scholars and decision‑makers from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and beyond to share findings on foundational learning, accelerated education models, gender equity, social inclusion and the cost‑effectiveness of interventions.
