Let’s build synergies among African universities: Will spur economic growth — President

Building strategic partnerships among universities, industry actors and public institutions will make higher education responsive to the needs of economies on the continent, President John Mahama, has said.

He said such collaborations would help align curricula with current market demands, promote applied research and create pathways for students to transition seamlessly from education into employment, particularly in sectors that were critical to driving Africa's transformation.

President Mahama was speaking at the Africa Higher Education Centre of Excellence (ACE) conference in Accra yesterday.

The three-day conference, dubbed;  ACE@10, is on the theme: "A decade of impact, innovation and excellence."

In attendance are a host of dignitaries from across Africa, including Ministers of Education and Finance, researchers, scholars and representatives of development partners.

In Ghana, the ACE includes the West African Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), which has become a key player in enhancing agricultural productivity across the region and the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), which has also become a beacon of scientific research and innovation in the health sector.

Gender inclusiveness

President Mahama said there was stark gender disparity in science and technology, where women remained significantly underrepresented.

Participants in the Africa Higher Education Centre of Excellence  in Accra

He, therefore, said it was imperative that academic institutions promote gender-inclusive policies and also expand opportunities for women to thrive in such disciplines.

"In this regard, it is important to commend  ACE for its remarkable support for women in STEM education.

“The programme has made impressive strides in increasing female enrolment, offering targeted scholarships, mentorship initiatives and building institutional cultures that recognise and respond to the unique challenges faced by women in scientific and technical careers.

“Equally critical is the continent's race to secure a place in the fourth industrial revolution where digitalisation, robotics and AI are pivotal in reshaping economic development," he said.

The President also said that continued research collaboration would enable institutions to pool resources, share expertise and develop scalable AI and automation solutions tailored to the continent's needs.

President Mahama further said that the celebration of ACE marked a decade of transformative progress, partnerships and groundbreaking achievements in higher education, scientific research and regional collaboration across the continent.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said ACE had made monumental contributions to education over the last 10 years.
 

Impact

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said ACE had made significant impact in improving access to education and improvement of lives on the continent since its establishment some 10 years ago.

She said under the programme, more than 90,000 students had been enrolled in various universities across Africa, including close to 8,000 PhDs and more than 30,000 Masters students.

Prof. Amfo said about 32 per cent of all students enrolled at ACE were females, as a result of a deliberate attempt to increase their enrolment.  

There are more than 80 ACEs in over 50 participating universities with presence in 20 countries.

About 130 programmes had obtained international accreditation, including programmes in poultry science, crop seed science and technology, molecular cell biology of infectious diseases, and water supply and treatment technology.

The World Bank Regional Vice-President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana, described the initiative as laudable, and said ACE had made remarkable strides, increasing from 22 centres to 80.