The proposal involves close cooperation between NEPAD, the University of South Africa (UNISA), African providers of teacher training and Governments of the three countries.

The primary challenge in Africa has been defined by the UNESCO Teacher Education Initiative, Sub-Saharan Africa 2004-2007.

In addition to the general lack of adequate training of teachers in Africa, UNESCO’s focus on teacher training institutions has disclosed insufficient capacity-building of higher education institutions and networks to strengthen college-level and community-level teacher training.

In accordance with the findings of UNESCO, Phase One of the NEPAD strategy proposal (2007) focuses on building the capacity and quality of lead teacher training institutions and on strengthening their impact in the education system.

Phase Two of the proposal (2008-2013) focuses on the consolidation of capacity-building in lead teacher training institutions but goes a step further to develop both the pre-implementation and implementation of large-scale teacher training and teacher development programmes and curricula in partnership with lead teacher training institutions in the three countries. As in Phase One of the project, this exercise is envisaged as collaborative.

The proposed activities and scope of work flow from the findings of baseline studies on the needs and priorities of teacher training and teacher development conducted by NEPAD, the University of South Africa, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), the Advocates Coalition for Environment and Development (ACODE) and UNESCO. The baseline study was funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Source : nepad, july 30, 2007