African Center for Economic Transformation

01/05/2026

𝗔𝘆𝗲𝗸𝗼𝗼!

This May Day, we celebrate the people driving Africa’s transformation - workers across every sector, our dedicated staff, and partners advancing this mission every day.

At ACET, we know that growth only matters when it delivers productivity, quality jobs, and improved livelihoods. Our work on TVET highlights the urgent need to equip young people with relevant, industry-aligned skills so they can thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy.

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆!

30/04/2026

Africa’s demographic dividend depends on one thing: aligning skills with jobs.

Every year, 10–12 million young people enter the workforce, but only 3.1 million formal jobs are created.

Our latest video explainer shows why Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) must move to the center of national economic strategy.

In this video, Mona Iddrisu shares key insights from our new synthesis report on building TVET systems that actually drive transformation:

🟠TVET receives just 2% to 8% of national education budgets across study countries.
🟠Training often lags behind industry needs
🟠Yet where systems are aligned, employment outcomes improve. In Ghana and Rwanda, nearly 70% of TVET graduates secure employment shortly after completing their programs.

The takeaway is clear:
🟠Raise TVET funding to 10–20% of education budgets to modernize infrastructure.
🟠Build robust Labor Market Information Systems (LMIS) to match training with industry demand.
🟠Create certification pathways for the millions gaining expertise through apprenticeships.

With the right investments and reforms- spanning financing, digital and green skills, inclusion, and stronger industry links- TVET can turn Africa’s youth surge into a real economic advantage.

📖 Explore the full report: https://ow.ly/mCj450YSoGU

29/04/2026

We are pleased to welcome Ellen Mackenzie to the ACET Board of Directors.

Mackenzie brings over three decades of experience in nonprofit finance and operations, including 18 years at the Center for Global Development, where she served as Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Administration, and Treasurer.

Her extensive expertise in financial stewardship, governance, and operational leadership will strengthen ACET’s mission to drive economic transformation across Africa.

We look forward to her contributions and leadership.

🔗Learn more about Mackenzie in her latest Q&A article here: https://ow.ly/qEaY50YRMOW

28/04/2026

WE ARE LIVE!

Join the YES-PACT Fireside Chat - Financing for Impact: Sustainable Investment and Financing Models in TVET, with Nurideen Mohammed of Northshore Apparel and Mona Iddrisu of ACET.

Don't miss out!

YES-PACT Fireside Chat - Financing for Impact: Sustainable Investment and Financing Models in TVET

27/04/2026

At the heart of Ghana’s economic transformation lies a defining question: how do we create meaningful, scalable opportunities for young people?

On April 28, 2026, ACET, in partnership with the World Bank and ISSER, convenes the Transformation Dialogue to explore practical, solutions-driven pathways forward.

Mona Iddrisu, ACET's Head of Youth Employment & Skills, will lead the conversation on how TVET systems can be reimagined to deliver jobs, productivity, and long-term economic transformation.

Theme: Youth Employment: Unlocking Ghana’s Potential
🗓 April 28, 2026 | ⏰ 3:00 PM GMT
📍Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/241138046241180?p=dwJ0C03oAVsbvzxiHt

Featured Speakers:
Mona Iddrisu (ACET)
Seyram Anthony Kwame Zu (CTVET)
Linda Ampah (KAD Manufacturing Ltd)
Monica Lambon-Quayefio (University of Ghana)

Join us alongside partners and leading experts as we generate the insights needed to shape policy, strengthen systems, and unlock opportunities for Ghana’s youth.

27/04/2026

Call for Papers!

ACET in partnership with leading global institutions, invites submissions for the Women in Leadership: Accelerating Development Outcomes conference.

This global convening will bring together researchers and policymakers to strengthen the evidence on how women’s leadership shapes development outcomes- and what works to advance it.

We are particularly interested in research on:
🔵Barriers to women’s leadership
🔵Policies and interventions that drive progress
🔵The impact of women’s leadership on development outcomes

📍 10–11 September 2026 | LSE, London (Hybrid)

📅 Submission deadline: 7 June 2026
📩 Extended abstracts (max. 500 words) or full papers accepted

Early-career researchers and those based in developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.

Be part of shaping evidence-based solutions that advance inclusive leadership and development.

🔗 Submit your paper: [https://ow.ly/GXzU50YQEHV]

23/04/2026

Happening soon: Have you registered yet? ⏳

On April 28, ACET’s YES-PACT Fireside Chat tackles one of the most critical barriers to economic transformation in Africa: the TVET financing gap.

We’re bringing Nurideen Mohammed, CEO & Co-Founder of Apparel, to join us in exploring how to move beyond chronic underfunding toward sustainable, industry-aligned investment.

Northshore Apparel offers a powerful example of what’s possible, having already integrated over 2,300 trainees directly into production systems.

This session will unpack how such models can be scaled by shifting from input-driven spending to financing that rewards real employment outcomes.

🗓 April 28, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM GMT
📍 Virtual (Zoom + Youtube)
🔗 Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eRzLBddFT4yIVaYYro6HYA

22/04/2026

In partnership with the , we are organizing the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition (FDCC) Consultation.

This initiative aims to shape a shared, ambitious, and forward-looking vision for the future of development cooperation, rethinking its role and relevance in a context marked by profound global transformations and growing complexity.

Discussions will delve into the fundamental purpose of development cooperation, examine how it is designed and implemented in practice, and unpack the geopolitical, climate, technological, and demographic dynamics that are redefining its priorities, instruments, and overall impact.

Date: : April 27, 2026
Register here: [LINK IN BIO]

20/04/2026

Africa’s growing demographic dividend presents a major opportunity that can only be realized by closing its persistent skills gap.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is critical to bridging this gap and creating employment. Yet across the continent, systems remain chronically underfunded, fragmented, and too often disconnected from real outcomes.

On April 28, ACET’s YES-PACT Fireside Chat unpacks the financing constraints holding TVET back.

Nurideen Mohammed, CEO and Co-Founder of Northshore Apparel, joins us to discuss how TVET financing can shift toward sustainable, performance-based, and blended models that reward results and attract long-term private investment.

Drawing from his practical experience, Nurideen will share how he has built an industrial model that has already integrated over 2,300 trainees directly into production systems, demonstrating what’s possible when skills and industry are aligned.

Join us to explore what it really takes to make TVET industry-ready and financially sustainable.

🗓 April 28, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM GMT
📍 Virtual (Zoom+ Youtube)
🔗 https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eRzLBddFT4yIVaYYro6HYA

31/03/2026

Join Live, ACET Intergenerational Dialogue
Defining Job Quality for Africa’s Youth:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

25/03/2026

Having a job is just the first step -quality is what ensures a future.

We asked young professionals to name the one thing that would truly transform their work life. From access to capital to inclusive labour markets, these are the improvements that matter most to the next generation of leaders to make dignified employment a reality.

Join policymakers and industry leaders as we tackle these critical reforms together.
📅 31st March 2026
🕐 11:00 – 13:00 GMT
🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nkDuvabASyGqY-kcYvfFLw