Addis Ababa: The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced that assistance to ensure access and quality of education in Africa will be further strengthened. Currently, there are about 63 million children not attending school or not going to school at all in sub-Saharan Africa. The African Union (AU) declared 2024 as the Year of Education because of the urgent need to mobilize more resources for improved access to quality learning across the continent. Accordingly, the 37th AU summit has last week discussed ways of enhancing education and skills to meet the continental vision and market needs. UNESCO Assistance Director-General Stefania Giannini told ENA that the education sector in Africa demands a great deal of attention as it is crucial to ensure the development of the continent. She stressed the need to have adequate finance to the development of the sector in the continent, urging pertinent stakeholders to play their part by providing the additional fund estimated at over 77 billion USD from now to 2030. According to Giannini also stressed the need to find ways of transforming the huge human capital of young people of Africa, which is a great opportunity to expedite development in the continent. to the assistance director-general, UNESCO will intensify its partnership with Africa to strengthen the education sector. Noting that the education sector demands huge investment, she urged the African Union to reinforce its efforts in resource mobilization in partnership with other players. Giannini reiterated that UNESCO will enhance its commitment to render its assistance to African efforts to improve the quality and accessibility of education Source: Ethiopian News Agency