The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede, has emphasized the need to build bridges as a way to change the narrative of higher education in Africa through what he called a deep bottom-up approach.
He said this while presenting a paper during the 22nd Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP 2023) which was held in Windhoek, Namibia.
In the paper titled “Breaking Barriers and Building Strategies to Promote Excellence in African Higher Education”, Professor Oloyede said that higher education is a key driver of economic development and social progress that plays a crucial role in shaping the future. of any nation.
The JAMB chief identified inadequate funding, limited access to quality education, brain drain and outdated curricula as some of the challenges and barriers affecting higher education in Africa.
Mr. Oloyede said that several factors were also responsible for the declining quality of higher education in Africa, listing some of them as institutional factors, poor governance structures, lack of academic freedom and inadequate funding.
To overcome the challenges, Mr. Oloyede challenged African institutions and authorities to come up with adequate policies and governance structures.
Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin It noted with concern that despite the progress made in recent years, millions of young people still do not have access to higher education in Africa due to poverty, distance, gender, disability and other factors.
To break through the barriers, he recommended expanding the capacity of existing institutions, creating new institutions, providing scholarships and grants, and leveraging technology to reach remote and underserved communities.
“We must develop policies and programs that promote inclusion and equity in higher education, providing equal opportunities for all, regardless of their origin, gender or socioeconomic status,” he said.
Mr. Oloyede added that it is necessary to ensure that higher education is affordable and accessible to all, promoting research and innovation.
The professor, a former president of the Association of African Universities (AAU) from 2009 to 2011, lamented that African universities often operate in isolation, limiting their ability to benefit from the expertise and resources of international universities.
“Let’s create a brighter future for generations to come by expanding access, improving quality, promoting relevance and building bridges. We can create a higher education system that is truly transformative for our continent and our people,” she said.
On funding, Mr. Oloyede advocated for governments, private sector operators and philanthropists coming together to find sustainable solutions to the funding challenges facing higher education in Africa.
He said there is also an urgent need to identify priority areas that need attention in African higher education and to establish partnerships with international institutions.
On the brain drain, which he identified as another barrier to advancing excellence in African higher education, Mr. Oloyede said there is a need to create opportunities that keep talented students and educators in Africa by offering competitive salaries and improving conditions. labor.
He argued that it is important to turn brain drain into brain gain and create career advancement opportunities for staff, as well as use technology to transform education by making it more accessible, affordable and flexible.
The five-day conference, themed “Advancing Excellence in African Higher Education”, has more than 600 participants, including Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, researchers and other stakeholders.