UNN signs Africa Charter for transformative research collaboration

African universities are increasingly becoming conscious of the benefits of working together to promote excellence in higher education in the continent. The University of Nigeria is one of the universities that is determined to promote Afrocentric university partnerships aimed at solving challenges peculiar to the continent through transformative research collaborations.

At the 22nd edition of the biannual conference of the Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREViP) organized by the Association of African Universities (AAU) at Windhoek, Namibia, the University of Nigeria became the first African university to sign a Charter to Promote Equitable Partnership for Promoting Excellence in African Higher Education. Over 400 heads of higher institutions and organisations from 52 countries attended the conference.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Professor Charles Igwe, said that the Charter will promote result-oriented research collaborations within African universities and with stakeholders outside the continent, to address African developmental needs as well as world-wide challenges.

Prof Igwe said that signing of the Charter has given African higher institutions the much-needed platform to galvanize its enormous human resources to solve the continent’s problems.

“The development of the African continent is dependent on the quality of research output from African universities. We have therefore decided to come together to provide research-based evidence that will inform transformational policies in various African countries”. Prof Igwe said.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that although funding was a major problem for African higher institutions, the challenge was surmountable. He challenged African institutions of higher learning to find innovative finance and funding mechanisms in order to enhance their relevance in learning, research and community service.

“We must pay attention to the commercialization of intellectual property from the research output of our staff and students. We should establish robust engagements with the alumni of our universities and build strong industry-university relations”, Prof Igwe advised while making a presentation on financing and funding.

Other initiatives and reports launched at the COREViP 2023, included the China- Africa Universities Exchange Consortium, Harmonization of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation (HAQAA 2) Initiative and a report on notable achievement of excellence of the World bank Africa Centres of Excellence Project Impact, that covered from year 2014 to the present.

The Vice-Chancellor was accompanied to the conference by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Centre Leader/Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED), Engr. Professor Emenike C. Ejiogu.