African universities align with AU on 2063 education agenda

• FUOYE re-opens today

The Association of African Universities (AAU) has promised to align its activities with the African Union’s (AU) 2063 Agenda on education. Central to this was the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA-2025) and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024.)

The resolutions were taken at the 14th conference of the association in Accra, the Ghanaian capital. The event also coincided with the golden celebration of the founding of the AAU.

In a communiqué in Abuja, the AAU urged African governments to improve on their investment in science and technology. It said this was in line with AU’s agenda of integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

The participants urged higher education institutions in Africa to nurture their transformational leadership on good governance and inclusive stakeholders’ management.

They also canvassed an effective conflict resolution mechanism and respect for human rights to enhance their relevance to the wider community. The AAU urged African universities to involve other sectors, through reforms in curricula, teaching and research, to engender more life-changing innovations in the community.

Also, the association tasked university administrators to create an enabling environment for students to learn democratic governance. Meanwhile, the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, (FUOYE), in Ekiti State, which was closed down last week, will resume today.

A statement by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Geoffery Barkji, said the Governing Council that met last Thursday in Ado-Ekiti ordered the re-opening.
The university was closed down following a violent clash between some non-academic and academic staff, leading to the disruption of teaching.

According to Barkji, the council also ordered an un-conditional lifting of the indefinite suspension that was earlier placed on some non-teaching staff.