PanAfGeo: 689 geoscientists from 44 African countries complete training

PanAfGeo, a 3-year pan-African training programme of unprecedented scale and ambition, was launched in 2017 to train 1200 geologists from 54 African countries.

An international cooperation programme between Europe and Africa

Cofunded by the European Union and a consortium of twelve European geological survey organisations (BRGM, CzGS, EGS, GeoZS, GEUS, GTK, IGME, ISPRA, LGT, LNEG, PGI, SGU), this €10.3 million programme was set up in close collaboration between EuroGeoSurveys, the umbrella organisation for Europe's geological surveys, and the OAGS, its African counterpart.  It is being undertaken as an international cooperation programme between the EU and the African Union.

27 training sessions in 14 host countries

After two years, results for the training courses deployed under the project are very positive, with 689 geoscientists trained in 44 African countries. 2018 saw a rapid expansion in training, with 455 people attending courses in that year alone.

Altogether, 27 training sessions (19 in English and 8 in French) were organised in 14 host countries (Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo and Zambia).

The courses covered all of the geoscientific competences offered by the programme (geological mapping, mineral resources, natural risks, geological heritage, information systems).

High visibility and close BRGM involvement

Feedback from the African geological surveys, the main beneficiaries of the training activities, is excellent, and the programme enjoys excellent visibility across the African continent.

About forty BRGM staff are working to coordinate the PanAfGeo project and supervise courses.