“Many a time academics complain of lack of this and lack of that on our university campuses that hinder our progress in research, capacity building, and technological innovation,” said Mucktar M.Y Darboe.
“For example, governments don’t provide adequate financial resources to address those challenges. I want to make it clear, my fellow academics, the reason for you earning a Ph.D. and becoming a professor is for you to use that academic knowledge and be creative by providing solutions to our ever-increasing human needs.”
He went on: “I challenge you as from today to be more creative and less complaining about the government not providing enough funding for your research, technology innovation, and capacity building work. Continue to see the government as your reliable partner in development.”
West Africa has a total of 527 universities. Nigeria has the highest number of universities in West Africa and the whole of Africa. As of July 2020, Nigeria counted 262 higher institutions, though in August 2021 the National Universities Commission released a list of 197 accredited universities operating in the country.
In 2020, there was over 1,225 universities in the whole of Africa, according to uniRanK, a higher education directory and search engine, with other rankings establishing that there are even more than 1,500 universities at the time.
Yet, West Africa and Africa mainly depend on foreign expertise in their bid to attain solutions plaguing the continent, as most of these institutions of higher learning lack a clear research policy, a concrete administration and competent leadership and a sense of direction.
According to experts, the current pattern of skills production in Africa does not match labour market demand or development needs.
As it is the case across the sub-region, the University of The Gambia suffers the same fate. This, on 3November 2020, prompted Sidia Jatta, one of the country’s top politicians and then National Assembly member for Wuli West, to say the University of The Gambia should be closed if it could not produce knowledge and skills needed for the country’s development.
“University is not just an image which does not exist but an instrument which enables you to develop, because we need skills and knowledge to better our world. If you cannot produce that here, close up!” Mr Jatta said.
Whilst Mr Jatta laments this situation, the UTG still struggles to get a structured research unit, after two decades.
