The second source of
funding that will help universities in Africa is inter-regional consolidation.
If you take countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and emerging oil
economies like Angola, they do better in comparison to other African countries.
Equally important are the free trade zones, as well as lack of travel restrictions
among African regions such as the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), and the Southern African Development Community (SADEC) provide ample
opportunities for exploring the potential of African universities, and
generating more income. Institutions like Bayero University, Ahmadu Bello
University or the University of Ibadan have every potential to explore the
educational market in neighboring countries like Benin, Niger, Chad, Cameroon
etc. the expansion of market and economic activities should not just be restricted
to material goods and services, education should be the most important commodity that should be
transferred across borders.
The good news is that
there is thirst for higher education almost everywhere, what is difficult is
affordability, so if you take these institutions to the door step of these
neighboring countries you will be in position to consolidate your income, and
most importantly provide educational services. It is not as easy as it sounds,
but when you have chief executives that have the foresight to pursue long term
initiatives that will bring both quality and income, it is doable. The
University I was teaching until few months back, Northumbria University in
North East England, is now the largest provider of university education in Hong
Kong, and making similar in roads in Singapore. These are countries in faraway
Asia; and that business strategy started not long ago. Within short period the
university saw its income rise, and began to recruit top class academics around
the world, and began to compete with the best universities in Britain.
Other Universities from
United States and the United Kingdom are opening campuses in Malaysia, the Gulf
Region, China and North Africa. African universities should explore the
potential within them, otherwise within short period, with the proliferation of
private universities, and the European and American Universities seeking ways
to maximize their incomes, our universities, which at the moment are attended
by our brothers and sisters only, while the elites send their kids abroad, will
become like public primary and secondary schools. I hope it never happens.
About nine years ago, one of the Professors in Nigerian Universities, currently
holding an executive position told me that, there is every possibility
that in the next few years our universities will become like public primary and
secondary schools.
I couldn’t believe my
eyes when I saw some pictures on the state of Nigerian campuses published recently
in the Newsletter of ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities-Nigeria).
Without exaggeration, some refugee camps are better equipped than the condition
students learn in our universities. And these graduates are expected to compete
with those in the Ivy League universities around the world.
The final strategy to
help African universities is the need to create regional educational hubs in
Africa. Here I mean, in each region, from the North to South, East to West and
Central Africa, top class universities need to be produced that will serve the
economic needs of that region. To do that, a political decision needs to be
made. The African Union should be the one to make that political decision. In
this regard I will suggest, that All African Heads of State agree to a Marshal
plan on the development of education which will support these educational hubs
to develop for at least 20 to 30 years, until African Universities are in the
position to compete with other universities around the world. One great mistake
that Africa will make is to allow the current state of higher education to
continue as it is.
Gone should be the days
when universities simply produce glorified-literate individuals who can only
join government services and append their signatures on documents to release
money or approve contracts. African States should think of universities that
produce innovators along our value system. In coming up with this Marshal plan,
African philanthropists should be involved, and we are not short of them, many are racing to feature in Forbes list of dollar billionaires. Left to me the effort of people
like Mr Mo Ibrahim to give award to African leaders, which in recent years are
difficult to find, I will rather suggest he gives that money to one African university
to develop its infrastructure; that way good leaders can be produced who may
not even need an award, but who see service to humanity as their reward.
Note:
Please visit my blog: www.jameelyushau.blogspot.com to read the previous editions as I have made
some modifications especially to some errors my attention was drawn to after
publication.
Concluded
3.07
16.12.1434
21.10.2013
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