L-R: Olanrewaju Onyitan, Founder/CEO SEED Foundation., Tina Udoji, Founder/CEO Chelice Group., Ayopeju Njideka, CEO Nurture House., Senator Liel Imoke, Former Governor, Cross River State., Kunbi Wuraola, Director, Policy and Partnerships, NewGlobe., Rhoda Odigboh, Founder/CEO The Learning Craft Foundation and convener. PACSEL., Yemisi Ogunlade, CEO, Plumptre Advisory.
The Learning Craft Foundation has called for stronger policy action to embed social and emotional learning (SEL) within African education systems, as stakeholders gathered for the Pan-African Convening on Social and Emotional Learning (PACSEL), themed around outcomes that matter: life, academic and well-being.
Opening the conversation, Founder of The Learning Craft Foundation, Rhoda Odigboh, said the conference is designed to deliver education systems beyond just exam results.
He emphasized that educating the whole child requires deliberate systems design and policy commitment, noting that SEL should be embedded rather than treated as optional or peripheral.
Alia A., CEO and President of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Samuel said 30 years of global evidence shows that SEL delivers both academic and life outcomes.
“When students experience social and emotional learning in their schools, homes, and communities, they are more engaged and curious in the classroom, build stronger relationships, develop self-motivation, and build perseverance when learning becomes challenging,” she said.
According to Samuel, the benefits are clear. “Students experience stronger academic achievement, better well-being, a deeper sense of belonging and identity, and a love of learning,” she said. “These are the skills and mindset that young people take into adulthood as they pursue meaningful careers.”
Senator Lial Imoke, former Governor of Cross River State, said education systems that ignore social and emotional development undermine both academic and economic outcomes.
“We have expanded access to schooling, but ignored what is going on inside the hearts and minds of children,” he said.
He stressed the importance of governance and incentives. “Schools behave exactly as policy incentives encourage them to behave,” Imoke said. “When the policy rewards only exam results, schools give certificates, not citizens.”
According to him, sustainability depends on institutional support. He said, “One who is not involved in policy rarely survives.”
Andreas Schleicher, director of education and skills at the OECD, said global assessment systems are evolving to reflect a broader understanding of learning.
“In PISA, we now assess outcomes beyond academic performance,” he said. “These include well-being, agency, resilience, connectedness and relationships.”
He explained that measuring learning must go beyond test scores. “Digital tools allow us to observe the process of learning, not just the end result,” Schleicher said. He said high-performance systems are straightforward in their design. “The systems that succeed make social and emotional learning visible in the curriculum framework. What you measure is where you focus your attention.”
Schleicher cautioned against copying international models without reference. “International comparisons should help countries make informed choices, rather than import solutions that are not suited to their local realities,” he said.
Eli Jetha, co-founder and CEO of Big Bad Boo Studios, highlighted the role of storytelling in teaching social and emotional skills.
“African storytelling traditions have long been used to transmit values,” he said. “The opportunity now is to use stories intentionally to model specific social and emotional competencies.”
Jetha emphasized that stories alone are not enough. “Learning happens through discussion, practice, role modeling and reflection,” he said. He said that while a completely localized curriculum could be expensive and time-intensive, customization offers a practical route. “SEL is most effective when global rigor is matched with local relevance,” he said.
Tina Udozie, founder and CEO of Chelis Group, said social and emotional learning speaks directly to the realities children face beyond education.
“Children don't live in a world of exams only,” he said. “They come to school with fear, pressure, trauma and uncertainty, yet schools often fail to address this.”
He pointed out the shortcomings in governance. “The system rewards grades and infrastructure, not child development,” Udoji said. He said that leadership matters at every level. “Policy also starts at the school level, when owners and leaders decide to take action.”
The two-day conference combined virtual and in-person sessions and covered social and emotional learning in early childhood, primary, secondary and school leadership contexts. The discussion covered policy integration, teacher practice, culturally based approaches, measurement of SEL outcomes, digital tools, and practical implementation strategies.
Speakers agreed that as access to schooling expands across Africa, education systems must now prioritize learners' well-being, citizenship and long-term life skills as central pillars of the continent's education future.
