About 50 members of the African Coalition for Academic Freedom (ACAF) from 45 African countries have begun a three-day conference in Accra to discuss critical challenges and opportunities in safeguarding higher education institutions across the continent.
Participants hail from Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Mali. They include academic staff representatives, higher education leaders, scholars, policymakers, and civil society organisations.
The conference aims to assess the current state of academic freedom in member countries, share experiences, develop coordinated advocacy and protection strategies, and create a continental framework for collective action. It also seeks to reinforce continental academic staff associations. The event is being held under the theme: “Safeguarding Academic Freedom in Africa: Continental Dialogue for Collective Action.”
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, commended participants for the initiative and urged them to equip academic staff associations to promote effective university governance. He emphasized that such efforts enable academia and students to build constructive relationships with government, yielding democratic and developmental benefits.
Mr. Iddrisu highlighted Ghana’s commitment to fostering positive relationships with academia through the University Teachers Associations of Ghana, ensuring industrial harmony and valuing academic voices in national discussions. He noted that public universities in Ghana have bicameral governance structures—Governing Councils and Academic Boards—that maintain separation of powers while overseeing academic appointments.
Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, in a speech read by her Chief of Staff, Alex Sebgefia, emphasized that academic associations play a crucial role in advancing academic freedom in Africa. She encouraged the coalition to focus on leadership development and constructive dialogue to promote higher education and democratic growth across the continent.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah-Amfo, noted that the University has championed academic freedom and institutional independence since 1948.
A lecturer from the Catholic University in Guinea-Bissau, Dr. Carlos Eugemo Monteiro Cardoso, urged members to ensure gender inclusivity in all activities. Meanwhile, Professor Kwodwo Appiagye-Atua highlighted the active role African academics have played in promoting and protecting academic freedom on the continent.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU & SARH KWAKYE
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