African higher learning institutions are under increasing pressure to rethink how they teach, assess and prepare students for a job market being rapidly reshaped by artificial intelligence.

That was the central message at the second edition of the ELATE Africa Workshop, hosted by Kepler College in Kigali on May 7–8, where education leaders, policymakers, employers and technology experts gathered to explore how African institutions can move beyond isolated AI experiments and build scalable education systems fit for the future of work.

Held under the theme "Educating for the Future of Work: AI-Enabled Pedagogies for Africa’s Next Generation,” the workshop focused on how universities and technical institutions can integrate AI into teaching, student support, assessment and curriculum design while addressing ethical concerns around privacy, academic integrity and equity.

The discussions came at a time when Africa faces a widening mismatch between education outcomes and labour market needs amid unemployment concern.

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According to figures shared during the workshop, between 10 and 12 million young Africans enter the labour market annually, yet only about 3 million formal jobs are created each year.

Jean Paul Mbabazi, Director of Registration, Digital Learning and Innovation at Kepler College, said the challenge is no longer whether institutions should adopt AI, but how.

"This is a platform of exchange where higher learning institutions, industry experts and academia meet to share better ways of doing things,” Mbabazi said.

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Mbabazi pointed out that this year’s workshop emphasised developing clear institutional policies to guide AI use.

"One of the biggest lessons is that institutions must first establish policies that define where and how AI should be used, and where it should not.”

Mbabazi also highlighted the need for African-built solutions, pointing to IGA, an AI-powered learning management system developed with African education realities in mind.

The platform, already in use at Kepler, supports learning and assessment while reducing dependence on foreign systems.

"It helps us solve real problems within our context while reducing costs and building local innovation capacity,” he said.

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Bridging the skills gap among graduates

The need to bridge the education-employment divide was echoed by Vivens Uwizeyimana, founder of Umurava, a platform connecting young professionals to employers.

He noted that while AI-related jobs are increasingly dominating hiring trends, many graduates still lack practical AI competencies.

"Most graduates are still at a basic level. They may know how to use tools like Gemini or ChatGPT, but many lack the deeper prompting and application skills employers need,” Uwizeyimana said.

He warned that misuse of AI is also becoming a concern, with some graduates relying heavily on AI-generated CVs and applications that employers can easily detect.

"The recommendation is simple: students must first master the core theories in their disciplines, then use AI to enhance how they apply that knowledge.”

Institutional reforms already underway

The workshop also showcased how last year’s edition has already triggered institutional reforms.

Dr. David Muchangi Mugo, a senior lecturer in artificial intelligence at the University of Embu in Kenya, said participation in the inaugural workshop inspired major changes at his institution.

These include staff training in AI pedagogy, student capacity-building in large language model applications, development of AI use guidelines, and investments in smart campus infrastructure.

"We realised we needed institutional policies, not just guidelines,” Mugo said.

The university has since installed more than 320 smart cameras, introduced AI-powered learning systems, and integrated AI into examination management and administrative operations.

Still, challenges remain.

"These include infrastructure costs, skills gaps among staff and students, resistance to change, and ethical concerns around privacy and creativity.”

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Africa’s call to become an AI creator

Prof. Baylie Damtie Yeshita, Vice-Chancellor at Kepler College, stressed that Africa must become a creator, not merely a consumer, of AI systems.

He cited global disparities in AI infrastructure and investment, warning that low-income countries risk falling further behind if they fail to act strategically.

"If we simply export our data, it will return to us as expensive intelligent tools built elsewhere,” he said.

Government perspective on AI and jobs

According to the Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA), AI is increasingly viewed as a catalyst for skills development and employment promotion.

Addressing participants, Amos Mfitundinda, Head of Department for Strategic Capacity Development at MIFOTRA, said AI is already embedded in workplaces, homes and public systems.

"It is no longer a future concept. It is part of our daily reality,” he said.

"The task now is ensuring our people become masters of this technology rather than being controlled by it.”