President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s strong commitment to fostering regional partnerships in higher education, research, and innovation across Africa.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) program, held in Accra on the theme “ACE@10 – Celebrating A Decade of Impact, Innovation and Excellence,” President Mahama underscored the critical need for collaborative responses to the continent’s pressing development challenges.
He stressed that complex issues such as public health threats, food insecurity, climate change, and the ongoing digital transformation cannot be addressed by countries in isolation.
“We recognize and fully appreciate that the challenges of our time… are too complex, costly, and knowledge-intensive to be tackled in national isolation,” he said. “That is why Ghana will continue to work hand-in-hand with our partners across the continent and beyond.”
President Mahama noted that Ghana’s intention to contribute more proactively to continental progress by leveraging its academic strengths in fields such as coastal resilience, crop improvement, renewable energy, and genetic medicine. “We see ourselves not only as beneficiaries of partnerships, but as active contributors to a collective vision for Africa’s development,” he said.
He also commended the ACE program’s efforts in promoting gender equity in higher education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). “The programme has made impressive strides in increasing female enrollment, offering targeted scholarships and mentorship initiatives, and creating institutional cultures that support women in technical careers,” he noted.
As Africa positions itself in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, President Mahama acknowledged ongoing challenges, including digital skills gaps and high capital costs for innovation. However, he expressed optimism that sustained academic collaboration could help Africa develop scalable, continent-specific solutions in areas such as artificial intelligence and smart technologies. “Through coordinated investments and research cooperation, we can equip our youth with the skills to lead Africa’s digital future,” he said.
World Bank Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Mr. Ousmane Diagana who delivered a keynote address at the event stressed that education—particularly higher education—remains a cornerstone of sustainable development, essential for driving innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth.
Mr. Diagana traced the ACE program’s impressive journey since its inception in 2014. Initially launched with 22 centers in seven countries and a $150 million investment, the program has now expanded to over 80 centers in 50 universities across 20 African countries, backed by a total investment of $657 million, including $72 million in co-financing from the French Development Agency.
Some key achievements highlighted by Mr. Diagana include:
- Training over 90,000 students, including 7,650 PhDs and 30,200 Master’s degree holders
- Publishing more than 10,350 peer-reviewed research papers
- Facilitating nearly 18,000 internships across the continent
- Achieving a 30% female enrollment rate in science-related fields
- Securing over $183 million in external funding
- Accrediting over 130 programs internationally and 600 programs nationally
He praised the program for building world-class laboratories and academic infrastructure, enabling students to receive high-quality training in areas critical to Africa’s development such as health, engineering, agriculture, and digital technology. “The ACEs are helping reduce the need for African students to seek education abroad, thereby also curbing brain drain,” he noted.
He cited Redeemer’s University in Nigeria as an example of the program’s impact, highlighting its leadership in genomics research and its role in sequencing the Ebola and COVID-19 viruses.
Both President Mahama and Mr. Diagana called for continued support and investment in regional higher education and research initiatives, stressing that the future of Africa’s development lies in strong, innovative, and collaborative academic ecosystems.
