Learning
In Togo, a new initiative to bring fabrication laboratories into schools and regional innovation centres is putting practical experimentation, creativity and technological skills at the centre of education. With 101 specially trained FabLab managers preparing to take up their roles, the initiative raises a wider question: how can African education systems help young people become not only users of technology, but creators of new ideas, products and solutions?
What if a science lesson did not end with an examination, but with a working prototype? What if students could take a problem they encounter in their communities, explore possible solutions, design something themselves and test whether it works?
These are some of the possibilities behind Togo’s plans to develop educational fabrication laboratories, or FabLabs, in scientific secondary schools, technical and vocational education institutions, and Regional Technological Innovation Centres (CRIT).
In August 2026, Togo’s Minister of National Education, Hon. Mama Omorou, officially launched a specialised training programme for 101 FabLab managers, recruited through the national teacher recruitment process. Their role will be to support students in using technology, applying scientific knowledge and developing practical projects.
The initiative is intended to bring new opportunities for experimentation into scientific and technical education, using tools and methods ranging from robotics, electronics and programming to artificial intelligence, connected devices and 3D modelling.
Following four weeks of training, completed on 18 September, the participants moved into a practical placement phase, scheduled to run from 28 September to 31 October. According to the Ministry of Education, their deployment to educational institutions and regional innovation centres is planned from November 2026, with further professional support continuing until July 2027.
Learning by creating
The significance of the initiative extends beyond the introduction of new technological equipment.
FabLabs are designed as spaces where people learn through experimentation, collaboration and making things. Instead of encountering scientific and technological concepts exclusively through textbooks or demonstrations, students can explore them through practical challenges.
As Minister of National Education Mama Omorou emphasised at the programme’s launch, a FabLab is more than a collection of 3D printers. It represents a different approach to learning, centred on experimentation, creativity and the practical application of knowledge.
A lesson in electronics might lead to the development of a simple device. Programming could become the basis for a project responding to a local need. Robotics, digital fabrication and design could provide opportunities to bring together scientific knowledge, creativity and problem-solving.
Such approaches can also change how students experience learning. Experimentation involves uncertainty, and an unsuccessful prototype can be as valuable educationally as a successful one. Students learn to test assumptions, identify problems, work together and improve their ideas.
This places considerable importance on the people who will guide them. The FabLab managers’ responsibilities will extend beyond operating equipment to supporting innovative teaching, connecting learners with wider innovation networks, and promoting inclusion and equal opportunities.
Connecting learning with opportunity
Togo’s initiative also reflects a broader ambition to strengthen the connections between education, technological innovation and economic opportunity.
The Ministry of Education envisages these laboratories as environments in which students can progress from developing an idea to testing a prototype and potentially taking it further.
Not every classroom project will become a commercial product, nor should entrepreneurship be the sole measure of educational success. The ability to think critically, collaborate, experiment and solve problems has value across professions and throughout society.
Nevertheless, providing young people with opportunities to apply their knowledge can strengthen the relationship between education and the world beyond the classroom.
An important feature of Togo’s approach is its regional dimension. According to the Ministry of Education, the planned deployment of FabLabs and innovation centres is intended to extend opportunities for practical technological learning beyond Lomé, reaching young people across the country.
The initiative’s longer-term impact will depend on how effectively these facilities are supported, how they are integrated into teaching and learning, and whether students can continue developing their interests and skills beyond individual projects.
From knowledge to innovation
The developments in Togo speak directly to a larger question facing education systems across Africa: how can learning equip people not only to understand and use existing technologies, but also to develop new solutions that reflect their own priorities and experiences?
African researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs and innovators are already creating technologies and services that respond to local needs. Bringing opportunities for practical experimentation into education can help more young people acquire the confidence and capabilities to participate in these activities.
This is also closely connected to the theme of eLearning Africa 2027, Africa’s Knowledge Power: From Human Capital to Shared Prosperity, which will be explored in Lomé from 26–28 May 2027.
The conference will examine how education, digital technologies, skills development and innovation can create meaningful opportunities and contribute to wider economic and social progress.
Togo’s FabLab initiative offers a practical example of this ambition. It places the emphasis not simply on access to technology, but on what learners can do with it, what they can create and how their ideas might benefit the communities around them.
The next chapter will unfold in classrooms, workshops and innovation centres, where the success of the initiative will ultimately be measured not by the equipment installed, but by the opportunities it creates for young people to experiment, learn and turn their ideas into reality.
Sources
Togolese Ministry of Education, 28 August 2026: FabLabs éducatifs et CRIT : le Togo prépare une génération de créateurs et d’innovateurs
Togolese Ministry of Education, 22 September 2026: FabLabs éducatifs : les 101 FabManagers passent de la formation à l’expérimentation
