October 22, 2026
Institute for African Compact on Education
Education as a lever for Africa’s transformation
The Institute carries forward, in an African style, the Global Compact on Education launched by Pope Francis: research rooted in local knowledge, training of trainers and accompaniment of educators.
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Audience with Pope Francis — Vatican, 1 June 2023
Our conviction
The Institute brings together bishops, Catholic universities, researchers, teachers and actors in the field around a single conviction: it is through education that Africa is durably transformed.
“You have expressed the Global Compact on Education in an African style, the Compact I launched in September 2019.”
Pope Francis
To the delegation of the actors of the African Compact on Education, Rome, 1 June 2023
The Institute
An institution born of the African journey for education
Created in 2024 in line with the recommendations of the First African Congress on Catholic Education (Abidjan, 2023), the Institute for African Compact on Education was launched in Kigali on 9 December 2024. It continues a journey begun in Butare in 2017, bringing together bishops, Catholic universities, researchers and actors in the field around the African Compact on Education.
About the InstituteA continental movement
- 10
- major steps since Butare, 2017
- 10
- countries engaged in the dynamic
- 2
- African congresses on Catholic education
At the heart of our identity
African Compact on Education
The African Compact on Education is the African expression of the Global Compact on Education launched by Pope Francis in 2019: an educational alliance rooted in the cultures, languages and educational traditions of the continent.
From the Global Compact to the African Compact
Global Compact on Education
Launched by Pope Francis in September 2019.
African Compact on Education
Presented in Kinshasa on 6 November 2022.
The African journey
Steps towards the African Compact on Education
A glimpse of the journey, from Butare (2017) to today — the full timeline is presented on the About us page.
From Rome and the continent
Institutional messages
Message of the Holy Father to the participants of the Second African Congress on Catholic Education
“Today, many African leaders and officials were educated in our schools, yet the situation on the continent remains critical at several levels.”
Pape Léon XIV
Supreme Pontiff — December 4, 2025
Speech by Cardinal Antoine Kambanda
Speech on the Institute for African Compact on Education at the international congress devoted to educational perspectives.
Cardinal Antoine Kambanda
— October 30, 2025
Message on the occasion of the inauguration of the Institute for African Compact on Education
“The creation of an Institute for the African Compact on Education is unique of its kind and will certainly be a stimulus not only for Africa as a whole, but also for realities on other continents.”
José Tolentino Cardinal de Mendonça
Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education — December 2, 2024
Pope Francis’s speech to the Delegation of Promoters of the African Compact on Education
Address to the delegation of promoters of the African Compact on Education, on 1 June 2023.
Pape François
— June 1, 2023
A continental network
Country experiences
- Angola
- CameroonSince 2021
- Côte d’IvoireSince 2023
- KenyaSince 2025
- MozambiqueSince 2022
- NigeriaSince 2022
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the CongoSince 2022
- RwandaSince 2017
- TanzaniaSince 2022
Countries whose educational experiences are documented in the Institute’s sources.
Explore the country experiences
10 Country experiences
Shared knowledge
Resources of the Institute
Publications, studies and research, institutional documents, pedagogical resources, speeches and multimedia: a knowledge repository serving African educators.
Explore the resourcesThe life of the Institute
News of the Institute
May 2, 2025
Pope Francis: an educational heritage hailed by Cardinal Kambanda
February 28, 2025
Mgr Vincent Harolimana : une allocution à retrouver en vidéo
International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC)
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An educational alliance
Partners and network
The African Compact on Education is built together with the Holy See, the episcopal conferences, Catholic education networks and international partners: an alliance serving educators across the continent.
Explore the network
Dicastery for Culture and Education
SECAM
International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC)
International Organisation of La Francophonie
Francophonie Institute for Education and Training (IFEF)
International Foundation Religions and Societies (FIRS)
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