AAU Secretary General to Lead Higher Education Discussions at ACE 10th Anniversary

Professor Olusola Oyewole, Secretary General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), will spearhead discussions on advancing higher education in Africa at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE).

The event is set to take place from April 7 to 9, 2025, in Accra.

Joining him will be Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, as the Special Guest of Honour, along with Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for West & Central Africa, and ministers of finance and higher education from 20 African countries. Together, they will explore strategies to enhance postgraduate education, research, and innovation across the continent.

“This landmark celebration will be graced by distinguished guests, including the Secretary General of AAU, who will lead discussions on strengthening African universities,” said Millicent Afriyie Adjei, Communications Lead for the ACE Impact Project at the AAU, during a press briefing on March 27, 2025.

She further highlighted the participation of key World Bank officials who will contribute to discussions on higher education and research advancements in Africa.

Launched in 2014, the ACE Programme has significantly advanced research, innovation, and postgraduate education across Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past decade, it has supported over 80 centres in 50 universities across 20 countries, training thousands of postgraduate students and pioneering research in STEM, health, agriculture, environment, and applied social sciences.

Professor Oyewole emphasized the programme’s impact: “The ACE initiative has been instrumental in enhancing African universities, equipping them with the resources and expertise needed to address critical developmental challenges.”

Rev Prof Ing Eric Antwi Ofosu, Centre Director of the Regional Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (RCEES) at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, described ACE as transformative for postgraduate education in Africa. “This initiative has been a game-changer. We owe its success to the collaborative efforts of African governments and the World Bank,” he remarked.

The three-day event will spotlight key achievements, research breakthroughs, and innovations from the ACE programme, featuring:

Success stories from young entrepreneurs

Discussions on women in STEM

Breakout sessions on innovation and industry collaboration

Felix Abagale, Centre Director of the West Africa Centre for Water, Irrigation, and Sustainable Agriculture (WACWISA) at the University for Development Studies, noted that the programme has driven substantial financial investments and research progress. Each ACE centre has received approximately $6.4 million, leading to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and increased scientific output.

WACWISA has trained students from over 20 African countries, while RCEES has expanded its annual research publications from 57 to over 400. The initiative has also facilitated international accreditation for universities, ensuring that graduates meet global standards.

As the ACE programme approaches the completion of its third phase in June 2025, discussions at the anniversary event will focus on sustainability strategies, policy reforms, and funding models to ensure its long-term impact.

The programme, supported by the World Bank, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), has collectively invested $657 million in African higher education, with an additional $72 million from AFD. These efforts continue to shape the future of education and research on the continent.