The International Publishers Association has started accepting project proposals to address the damaging impact of the Coronavirus Disease on education in Africa, with grants from the $200,000 Africa Publishing Innovation Fund available to the best ideas.
Africa-based entrepreneurs and innovators can pitch their ideas via the APIF website, at www.apinnovation.fund, after which the APIF will provide a detailed application form to be filled and returned to info@apinnovation.fund.
After a thorough vetting process, the winners will be selected by the IPA Africa Publishing Innovation Committee, comprising senior publishing leaders from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tunisia and South Africa under the leadership of IPA Vice-President, Bodour Al Qasimi.
APIF is a four-year $800,000 fund provided by Dubai Cares, a United Arab Emirate-based global philanthropic organisation, and administered by the IPA.
The decision to incentivise learning innovations to help African students pursue their education follows the unprecedented, near-universal lockdown. Around 190 countries have had to close schools, affecting more than 1.5bn school-aged children – about 90 per cent of the world’s student population.
Distance learning in Africa faces multiple difficulties, notably poor internet coverage in rural areas, cost, and students’ lack of technical means and funds to follow courses.
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 89 per cent of learners in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to a computer, 82 per cent have no internet access, and around 56m learners live outside mobile networks. These challenges create a worrying digital and remote learning gap.
Qasimi, said, “The immediate effects of lockdown are clear, but the risks of serious, longer-term harm to education are only beginning to be understood. COVID-19 has taught us that technology can protect people and enable life and learning to continue. But this technology is not accessible to everyone. We are looking for bright minds and clever solutions to overcome these challenges in Africa by bringing learners, teachers and educational materials closer at a safe distance.”
Speaking about the importance of overcoming the challenges that the publishing industry is facing in Africa as a result of COVID-19 outbreak, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares and member of its Board of Directors, Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, aid, “The COVID-19 pandemic could be seen as a tipping point to digital transition in the publishing industry in Africa. This global health crisis also represents an opportunity for African publishers to put forward innovative solutions that will help them map strategies to overcome future challenges.
“We look forward to witnessing a high turnout among entrepreneurs and innovators in Africa along with their unique solutions and ideas in support of the publishing industry.”
This will be the second round of bursaries awarded under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2019 between Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and IPA, the world’s largest trade association for publishers.
Last year, five African projects won $20,000 each from the fund, while a library restoration in Nairobi was allocated $50,000.
