He made this statement whilst deputising for the higher education minister, Pierre Gomez, at a two-day conference organised by West Africa Universities Association and held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre.
“This gathering avails a great opportunity for scientists to deliberate on issues and provide solutions that will enhance the living conditions of citizens of West Africa in particular and humanity at large,” he said.
“Higher education in West Africa for the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities’ is quite fitting in a changing environment in West Africa,” he added.
“One question that comes to my mind with regard to higher education’s role in the development of West Africa is: What strides and policy commitments have been taken up by our universities in West Africa to ensure that higher education in West Africa is central to realising the region’s development agenda?”
“One thing is clear and that is both in West Africa and among our development partners, academics and policy makers recognisze the importance of higher education for West Africa’s development pathway,” he further said.
Mr Darboe noted that public and private universities in West Africa are growing in numbers and increasing enrollments each year, adding that new technological laboratories and classrooms are being built to cater for the needs of their growing student populations.
He highlighted that in many of their universities, new buffer bodies have been created to provide governance oversight, guarantee greater institutional autonomy from undue political control and strengthen the institutions to allow them engage in national and continental development issues.
He added that policy commitments from the African Union Commission (AUC) has rejuvenated regional universities working to set quality assurance frameworks and reorganise commissions for science and technology that are mobilising funding for research and innovation for universities.
“These are some opportunities that our West Africa universities must take advantage of in order to craft the region’s economic development trajectory. Our universities must be pivotal in reconstructing West Africa’s future,” he said.
