Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin and president Association of African Universities (AAU)

bbyyProf. Is-haq O. Oloyede

www.unilorin.edu.ng

vc@unilorin.edu.ng

Introduction The current state of African universities Challenges of university education in Africa Future orientation of university education in the

21st century Recommendations Conclusion

THE OUTLINE

This paper presents an overview of the current achievements in university education in Africa, highlights major challenges of university education, reflects on what the future orientation of universities should be to attain the desired goal in the 21st century; and identifies pragmatic initiatives for achieving the same. The following questions thus sharpened the focus of the discourse:

INTRODUCTION

What is the current status of university education in Africa?

What are the major challenges confronting university education in Africa?

What should be the future orientation of university education in Africa?

What specific initiatives must be put in place to make university education in Africa compete favourably in global knowledge in the 21st century?

Land mass: App.30 million sq. km.

Population : Close to a billion peopleHEIs: App. 2,500 spread

across 53 independent states

Background Information on Africa

Africa is the world's second-largestAfrica is the world's second-largest continent.continent.

Total 975,330,899 peopleTotal 975,330,899 people• Over 2300 HEIsOver 2300 HEIs• About 6.2 million tertiary education About 6.2 million tertiary education

studentsstudents• Public and Private participationPublic and Private participation• Gross Enrolment in HE is 5% of Gross Enrolment in HE is 5% of

PopulationPopulation• Heavy public participation but Heavy public participation but

limited private participation limited private participation

AFRICA

Spends less than 0.3% of GNP Spends less than 0.3% of GNP on research.on research.

Accounts for 12% of world Accounts for 12% of world population but accounts for population but accounts for less than 1.5% of research less than 1.5% of research publicationspublications

AFRICAAFRICA

The first set of universities in Africa was established by the colonial masters, in the late 1940s to early 1950s , modeled after European traditions; and with curriculum tailored towards fulfilling the colonial needs of support administrative staff . With independence however, university education in Africa has made substantial progress in several areas including

massification of education internationalization of education, information Communication Technology, curriculum innovations and funding

The Current Issues in African Universities

Compared with many universities in the developed world, enrolment in African universities is still very low put at ratio 2-4% (AAu & World Bank Report of 1997).

Not withstanding the seemingly unimpressive

performance, the fact is that, soon after independence, many countries in the continent expanded massively the capacity of their universities to accommodate many more students than their pre-independency capacities.

Massification in University Education in Africa

This has not only necessitated the expansion of existing universities in Africa, but has also led to rapid increase in the establishment of new universities particularly in the 1970s.

Within a spate of fifty years of Nigeria’s independence, as example, the number of universities has grown from one to one hundred and four in 2010. The picture is not too different in most other countries in Africa where education has ceased to be the exclusive reserve of the elite.

Massification in University Education in Africa Contd.

Emergence of specialized universities in fields such as technology and/or agriculture.

Changes in the composition and character of the student population and the staff.

Gradual closing of gender gaps in enrolment and staffing.

Consequences of Massification

The 20th century has similarly witnessed the drawing closer of universities in many parts of the continent through:

Staff and student exchange programmes Joint PhD project supervision and examination International conferences

Internationalization of Education

Partnership between Universities and industries in curriculum and research initiatives

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Other curriculum initiatives

For instance the University of Ilorin, Nigeria is currently into active collaboration with the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, for diverse curricular initiatives.

Internationalization of Education Contd.

A major catalyst to internationalization of university education is rapid development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Universities in Africa are increasingly becoming part of the larger global higher education system through systematic application of ICT facilities. For instance, computer technologies, multimedia projectors, interactive electronic boards, e-learning, distance education and online learning, are gradually becoming regular features of university environments in Africa.

Information and Communication Technology

Online registration, payment of tuition, hostel and other sundry fees which were hither-to paid in cash or into banks.

web presence and online learning. The University of Ilorin , Nigeria, has an e-library

funded by United Bank for Africa (UBA) ,a department of ICT, and is currently the first in Nigeria in 2010 Webometric ranking.

Challenges of University Education in Africa

Africa is endowed with enormous human and natural resources but has consistently encountered numerous challenges in sustaining itself in critical areas of development as a result of the inability of higher education to produce adequate manpower with required knowledge , skills and values for effective nation building. Major areas in which university education in Africa lags behind are related to funding and quality.

From inception, most universities in Africa have relied, to a great extent, on foreign funds for research, capacity building scholarships, curriculum development etc.

This heavy dependence on foreign funding may impose donor principles, culture and education system on Africa.

To avoid the danger of overdependence, African Governments should place the funding of university education on their priority list.

Funding of University Education

Other options include forging partnerships with foreign universities instead of direct aid, regional collaboration among sister African countries and with the private sector.

For example, in Nigeria, the government accesses 2% of taxable income of corporate organizations through the Education Intervention Fund (ETF).

The ETF provides fund for infrastructural and learning aids in tertiary institutions (the highest proportion of which goes into funding public universities).

For example, in Nigeria, the government accesses 2% of taxable income of corporate organizations through the Education Intervention Fund (ETF).

The ETF provides fund for infrastructural and learning aids in tertiary institutions (the highest proportion of which goes into funding public universities).

The aim of university education, world ever is to build human capital for development, but this aim can only be achieved if the quality of education provided by the university is high.

A major determinant of the quality of the product of university education is the quality of input and process variables.

Input and Process Determinants of Education Quality

The degree of quality assurance entrenched in INPUT and PROCESS variables has direct implication for the quality of OUTPUT of the university.

INPUT VARIABLESQuality of:I.StudentII.StaffIII.Infrastructure

INPUT VARIABLESQuality of:I.FundingII.CurriculumIII.Administration

INPUT VARIABLES

Quality of Product

Quality of University Education

Quality of University Education Contd.

As shown in the diagram, to engender qualitative output or product of university education, input variables, in terms of students intake, the Faculty and infrastructure must be of good quality.

Consequently, the degree of quality assurance has direct implication for the quality of the graduates.

Access and Equity: There is evidence to suggest that the quality of

students admitted in some African Universities cannot be vouched for sometimes on account of examination malpractice, quota and discretional admission policy, while female enrolment remains consistently low particularly in Science and Technology

Challenges Associated with Input Variables

Staffing Quality: The inability of many universities to attract and / or retain

adequate quantity of competent staff because of problems of “brain drain” is another input variable that tends to compromise quality of Education.

The loss of highly skilled academics to the brain drain syndrome is one challenge that significantly compromises African universities’ global competitiveness.

Quality of Infrastructural Facilities:

• Poor quality of libraries, laboratory facilities, inadequate classroom/hostel facilities and overstretched municipal services characterize many universities on account of explosion in student enrolment without comparable improvement in infrastructural facilities.

Funding

Curriculum initiatives

Quality of Faculty Members

Interrelated tripartite functions of academics

Process Variables

Global rating

ICT integration

Proliferation of private universities

Quality of university administration

Process Variables Contd.

In any given university, the staff and students must operate within a milieu that enhances qualitative education.

Funding, curriculum initiatives, management practices etc must be adequate and supportive. Much, however, needs to be achieved in this regard in many African universities.

Challenges Associated with Process Variable

Funding:

Inadequate funding is a major challenge in many universities in Africa.

Compared with universities in developed nations, many countries in Africa are agrarian and many, because of economic mismanagement, are dependent on foreign loans to power their economy

Curriculum initiatives:

• Another challenge is the apparent disconnect between curriculum initiatives and job demands in many of the countries.

• The curriculum in most instances fails to keep pace with skills and knowledge requirements of employers.

Curriculum Initiatives Contd.

Emphasis of university education must be less on acquisition of a particular body of knowledge in a discipline as much as on the development of the capacity to learn and utilize knowledge as a resource in the context of societal needs.

Quality of Faculty members: A major determinant of university ranking is quality of

academics in relation to their tripartite functions of teaching, research and community service.

Though the tripartite functions are inter-related, the degree to which they are discharged has a direct relationship with the quality of the university product.

Majority of low ability academics recruited in some African universities lag behind in qualitative service delivery in each of these functions

Quality of Faculty Members Contd. Teaching in most African universities is mainly

traditional and devoid of technological support Research is essentially individualistic, motivated by

promotion imperatives (Sub-Saharan Africa contributes around 1% of global knowledge, in terms of publications )

Many academics communicate negative professional and personal values to the students

Quality of Faculty Members Contd. Emphasis must be placed on merit in the recruitment of

academics and boosting the competence base of academics through the process of ‘brain circulation’ knowledge updating, new technology, international best practices and quality assurance in university education.

Appropriate evaluation mechanisms must be put in place to ensure professional competence of academics in African universities

Global Rating:

By current world rating, apart from few universities in South Africa, no other African University is among the first five hundred universities in the world. Of the top 600 world universities, included in the 2009 – QS World University Rankings, the University of Cape Town occupied 146th position (to come first in Africa) while three other South African universities;

Global Rating contd.

University of Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria and the University of Kwazulu-natal ranked 321,401 and 501 respectively. Similarly, in the 2010 Webometrics ranking, the 1st African university (University of Cape Town) raked 317 in the world, while the University of Ilorin, which came 1st in Nigeria is the 5,856th in the world.

ICT Integration: The limited level of integration of ICT into the curriculum

of many universities in Africa is another challenge. ICT application is still in the emerging phase in most

African universities because of the limited knowledge by both staff and students. They are often intimidated by the rapidly changing technologies.

ICT Integration Contd. Effective application of ICT in education is contingent on

the sound understanding of the technology. Two major limiting factors to optimum application of ICT in

education are: Unstable power supply in most countries and High cost of bandwidth and other vital equipment.

Proliferation of Private Universities: The current proliferation of private universities is another

major challenge. For instance in Nigeria, there are sixty three (63) public universities and forty (40) private universities.

Though the universities were established in response to massification of education, there is however the tendency of some of them to compromise quality in admission standard, curriculum content, teacher quantity, quality etc.

Quality of University Administration Issues such as workload per staff, low staff morale,

communication gaps etc are also some of the challenges associated with management in many African universities.

The cumulative effect of the input and output process on the products of African universities can hardly be overstated.

Disconnect between the quality of knowledge acquired in the universities and the skill required for resolving societal challenges.

The generality of products of African universities are viewed with suspicion in other parts of the world, no thanks to the general perception of the products as morally lax and capable of compromising integrity.

University Output

Future Orientation

Access and Quality Assurance: Rapid expansion of existing universities and

establishment of more new ones will be required in the 21st century.

It will however be important to ensure that admission standards are not lowered under any guise .

Equity and quality assurance:If the full development potentials of its youths would be tapped, then deliberate attempts must be made to attract females to access university education , particularly in science and technology programmesFunding:Apart from enhanced budgetary allocation, the focus of African governments and all education stakeholders in the 21st century should be on exploring other viable funding options.

Curriculum initiatives: Emphasis of university education must be less on

acquisition of a particular body of knowledge in a discipline as much as on the development of the capacity to learn and utilize knowledge as a resource in the context of societal needs.

Competence of Academics: Emphasis must be placed on merit in the recruitment of

academics and boosting the competence base through the process of ‘brain circulation’ knowledge updating, new technology, international best practices and quality assurance in university education.

Appropriate evaluation mechanisms must be put in place to ensure professional competence of academics in African universities.

Output:Therefore, African universities require, in the 21st century, to focus on developing the total man, in knowledge, skills and values competencies, which is the hall mark of the educated man.

Quality of University Administration:Focus of administration should, in the 21st century , shift to boosting staff morale, enhancing management efficiency and integrity, providing attractive remunerations, up-to-date teaching and learning facilities and putting in place appropriate reward system to reinforce innovation and productivity in the work force.

African Union Revitalization efforts

Second Decade of Education in Africa• Gender and culture• Education management information systems • Teacher development, education and training• Tertiary education• Technical and vocational education and training• Curriculum, and teaching and learning materials• Quality management.

Other Developments - Africa

• Arusha Convention – Revised and going to COMNDAF IV.• Pan African University Project – Not a new University, but a

program of recognition of centres of excellence in African University system.

• Rating Mechanisms – Developed and about to be test run.• Nyerere Scholarship Scheme.• African Mobility Scheme – • Regional Programs – IUCEA Programs ( harmonization,

Quality Assurance); SARUA

The Association of African Universities

– Founded in Rabat, Morocco in 1967– With an initial membership of 34.Today – Over

240 members, drawn from 45 African countries.– Is the apex organization and strategic forum for:– Consultation,– Exchange of Information,– Cooperation among inst. of HE in Africa.

AAU Mission

To raise the quality of higher education in Africa and strengthen its contribution to African development by fostering collaboration among its member institutions; by providing support to their core-functions of teaching, learning, research and community engagement; and by facilitating critical reflection on, and consensus-building around, issues affecting higher education and the development of Africa.

AAU Core Programs

• Leadership in Higher Education • Management Development• Academic Mobility and Staff Exchange• Database on African Theses and Dissertations

(DATAD)• Quality Assurance• HIV-AIDS

RECOMMENDATIONS

The bane of development in Africa is the general inability of African universities to produce, in sufficient quantities resourceful youths competent to respond to the myriad of technological, political and socioeconomic challenges in the continent.

To accommodate the ever- increasing demand for university education there is need to provide quality teaching/learning resources, improve and expand facilities in existing universities, establish more new public universities and license additional private universities.

Affirmative action on gender equality in enrolment (especially in Science and Technology programmes) must be promoted.

Institute fair and transparent reward system to, reinforce innovation, stem the brain drain syndrome and mitigate indolence among academics.

Uphold the fundamental values of integrity (i.e. honesty, fairness, transparency, trustworthiness and responsibility) in student admission, resource management as well as in staff recruitment, promotion and development.

To enhance human and infrastructural resources as well as curriculum initiatives specialized universities in fields such as technology and agriculture should be established.

A network of universities across regions, can work together to complement one another’s activities.

To enhance professional competence, academics in African universities should have access to professional development programmes including Postgraduate Diploma in Education.

To sharpen their research skill and international competitive advantage, academics should be encouraged to initiate and engage in collaborative research across disciplines rather than the traditional solo efforts.

Faculties/ Departments should be encouraged to develop research niches responsive to specific societal developmental issues in the nations.

Attention must be paid to building the capacity of African academics in developing research proposals

The potential of the intellectual in diaspora should be actively explored in African universities.

A template for providing newly recruited academics orientation on teaching in the university should be developed.

Each university should develop benchmarks for determining and appraising staff achievements .

CONCLUSION

The thesis sponsored in this paper, is that governments must prioritize funding of university education while universities also explore other innovative means of generating fund;

More importantly, African universities must respond to the ever- increasing demand for university education with fairness and equity;

integrity in student admission and staff recruitment, development and promotion;

set benchmarks of academic performance and appraisal; institute academic integrity climate (responsive to such challenges as examination malpractice, academic indolence and administrative tardiness) ;

establish regional and /or international collaborations (for research and curriculum initiatives) to engender brain circulation and internalization of education;

develop research niches responsive to societal developmental challenges (such as diseases, political instability, corruption etc.); and

put in place transparent and fair reward and punishment system etc.

African universities are in the best stead to produce resourceful youth with appropriate knowledge, skills and values to resolve the myriad of technological, political, social and economic challenges of Africa.

FINAL WORD

Thank you for your attention