The Head of the Pan African Institute for Education for Development (AU-IPED), Mr. Noubatour Adoumtar, participated in the 2025 DHIS2 Annual Conference held in Oslo, Norway, representing the African Union’s commitment to advancing digital transformation and data systems in the education sector. This high-level engagement underscores AU-IPED’s leadership in enhancing Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) across the continent, in alignment with the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25).
During the conference, Mr. Adoumtar actively engaged in strategic networking with key players in the global EMIS and digital data ecosystems. These engagements provided an opportunity to advocate for African priorities, share AU-IPED’s progress in EMIS strengthening, and explore innovative approaches and partnerships for digital education data systems. Discussions centred around leveraging DHIS2's open-source platform to enhance real-time data use in planning and decision-making across education ministries in Africa.
A significant highlight of AU-IPED’s participation was a dedicated partnership and
resource mobilisation meeting with the Norwegian Agency for Development
Cooperation (NORAD). In the meeting, AU-IPED presented its comprehensive
programme proposal outlining planned initiatives, including capacity building for national EMIS officers, regional peer-learning mechanisms, and the use of artificial intelligence to support data collection and analysis. The meeting explored avenues for collaboration between NORAD and AU-IPED, with a strong focus on aligning mutual goals for sustainable education data development across African Union member states.
Additionally, Mr. Adoumtar chaired a high-level stakeholder meeting to review the
implementation status of the continental EMIS Master’s Programme, which was officially launched in December 2024. The programme, co-hosted by the University of The Gambia and the University of Oslo, aims to build a new generation of African EMIS professionals equipped with advanced data and planning competencies. The meeting brought together key stakeholders including representatives from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the two hosting universities, and a panel of independent EMIS experts.
The discussions evaluated early implementation outcomes, curriculum delivery
challenges, and opportunities for strengthening student support and internship linkages with ministries of education. Stakeholders reaffirmed the strategic importance of the EMIS Master's Programme in institutionalising data competencies within national systems and building long-term capacity for evidence-based planning and policymaking in Africa.

Through its participation at the DHIS2 Annual Conference, AU-IPED not only reaffirmed its position as a continental leader in education data development but also laid the groundwork for new partnerships that will accelerate the achievement of CESA’s goals.
The engagement reflects AU-IPED’s broader strategy of building a coherent continental EMIS community, strengthening data governance, and ensuring that African education systems are supported by reliable, timely, and actionable data.
As AU-IPED continues to engage with global and regional partners, it remains
committed to fostering innovation, building capacity, and mobilising resources to transform education data systems for the benefit of all learners across the African continent.