SASASNET calls on AU to adopt Mombasa Declaration

This call was made at the just-ended 2nd Regional Conference on Quality Skills and Apprenticeships in Africa, held in the coastal city Mombasa, from 14 - 16 May, 2025. The event was courtesy of the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network SASASNET and the Ministry of Labour and Skills Development of the Republic of Kenya,

In presenting the Mombasa Declaration at the end of the three-day regional confab, Ousman Sillah, Secretary General Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET), said the Call For Action (CFA) by the African Union, SASASNET member country governments, international and regional development partners and the stakeholders in the skills and apprenticeship ecosystem at the national and regional levels, seeks to explore ways of advancing and implementing actions and commitments on transitioning skills development and apprenticeships from the informal to formal economic systems.

Sillah maintained that the Mombasa Declaration made calls for action in 5 key areas namely; the need for Governments to recognize, engage and promote the informal sector as a critical entity in their economic development strategies.

The declaration, he added, also calls on governments to prioritize funding and implementation of skills transformation strategies; Development partners and donors to align their support with national and regional priorities; Employers and worker organizations to actively co-design apprenticeship models and provide structured on-the-job learning.

It also emphasis the need for youth organizations to continue advocating, innovating, and holding institutions accountable.

The Declaration, continued Hon. Sillah, acknowledges the formation and operationalisation of SASASNET, now active in 43 African countries, as a unique continental platform advancing skills development and apprenticeship reforms and the inspiring leadership demonstrated by various member countries in advancing Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and integrating informal systems into national frameworks. 

It further calls for partnerships and technical support provided by the regional and international multi-lateral institutions, organisations and initiatives such as the African Union, ILO, AfDB, UNIDO, UNESCO, European Training Foundation, UNESCO/UNEVOC, BILT Project, National Skills Development Corporation (India), Mastercard Foundation, OSCARS Olympiads, PROMETRIC, Swisscontact, ILO PROSPECTS Project, Don Bosco Tech Africa and Commonwealth of Learning as demonstrated by their support and participation in the regional conference.

Some of the key highlights outlined by the SASASNET SG as commitments in the Mombasa Declaration is for SASASNET to enhance regional skills mobility under the auspices of the African Union to promote regional labour mobility through the development of the African Skills Passport (ASP), improved cross-border skills recognition and employment facilitation mechanisms.

Another key highlight of the Mombasa Declaration is the commitment to establish a permanent SASASNET Youth Forum and also the holding of an African Youth Conference on Skills Development and of the Government of Kenya has offered to host.

Speaking earlier, Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaje, Continental Chairperson of SASASNET, underscored the importance of quality skills and apprenticeships to ensure the transitioning from the informal to formal systems.

He emphasised the role that SASASNET is poised to play as a vehicle and solid anchor for the development, coordination and implementation of strategies aimed at achieving quality skills and apprenticeship systems that would also equip the young people with the right skills for decent and productive employment.

Dr. Martha Phiri, Director Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development, who was invited as speaker in various panels, re-echoed the Bank commitment in the giving priority to interventions related to the development of a skilled workforce and creation of opportunities for youth employment as stated in its new ten-year development strategy. She applauded and acknowledged the SASASNET initiative as the vehicle that needs to be supported to realise these objectives in Africa.

Panelists from the African Union, ILO, UNESCO, UNIDO and the other international and regional organisations and programmes have all emphasised the need to collaborate with SASASNET in the realisation of their shared objectives and commitments.

Hon. Dr. Alfred Mutua, Cabinet Secretary (Minister) of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Kenya, in his keynote address pointed out that the confab thus marks a significant milestone in their collective journey towards developing a skilled workforce—one that is employable, productive, enterprising, innovative, adaptable, and globally competitive.

During the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of SASASNET, the delegation from Malawi offered to host the next Regional Conference and AGM.