The Lilongwe Ministerial Communiqué, adopted during the 3rd Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX2026) held in Lilongwe, Malawi (15–17 July 2026), reaffirms the collective commitment of African Ministers of Education and Heads of Delegation to transform foundational learning across the continent. Building on previous commitments made in Freetown and Kigali, the communiqué recognizes that learning poverty continues to affect an estimated nine out of ten African children and calls for accelerated, large-scale action to achieve the goal of ending learning poverty by 2035.

The document highlights proven strategies for improving learning outcomes, including strong political leadership, government ownership, evidence-based structured pedagogy, instruction in languages children understand, sustained teacher support, effective assessment systems, data-driven decision-making, and increased domestic financing aligned with national priorities. It also emphasizes equitable access for marginalized learners and resilient education systems that leave no child behind.

The communiqué concludes with a shared set of commitments calling on governments and partners to strengthen national education systems through sustainable financing, quality data and accountability mechanisms, responsible integration of artificial intelligence and educational technology, improved early childhood education, and coordinated implementation of reforms. Together, these actions aim to translate political commitments into measurable improvements in foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning at scale across Africa.