Local funding can bridge research gaps in West African varsities—Egbewole
By Abubakar Abdulquadri and Muizdeen Adewole
The Secretary General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU) and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has said that despite persistent funding challenges facing universities across the region, viable local funding sources still exist to support academic research and innovation.
Prof. Egbewole stated this penultimate Saturday (May 9, 2026), while speaking at the AWAU Monthly Colloquium series held virtually.
According to him, universities can bridge research funding gaps through strategic partnerships with industries, government agencies, and alumni networks.
He urged higher institutions across West Africa to strengthen collaboration with local stakeholders, noting that increased domestic investment would help sustain research output and promote context-relevant innovation within the region.
The Vice Chancellor also stressed that embedding quality assurance into academic planning remains crucial to unlocking innovation across West African universities. He explained that institutions that treat quality assurance as a core management function are better positioned to develop new ideas, improve learning outcomes, and respond effectively to evolving labour market demands.
In her presentation, the Director of the Language Lab at Université Amadou Mahtar Mbow, Dr Amina Gaye, said quality assurance should not be viewed merely as a compliance mechanism capable of slowing institutional progress.
Rather, she argued that effective quality assurance systems provide universities with a stable framework for innovation and experimentation.
According to her, when academic processes, data, and learning outcomes are consistently evaluated, institutions can quickly identify gaps and channel resources toward impactful innovations in teaching, research, and student services.
Dr Gaye, who was the facilitator of the colloquium, further emphasised that innovation in West African higher education often fails not because of lack of ideas, but due to weak feedback mechanisms.
She noted that integrating quality assurance into the design stage of new programmes enables institutions to test, refine, and scale solutions without compromising academic standards.
She explained that such an approach transforms quality assurance into an early-warning and improvement mechanism rather than a post-failure audit process, thereby encouraging responsible risk-taking and sustainable innovation.
The facilitator also highlighted the importance of cross-border collaboration in improving quality standards across the region. She noted that aligning quality assurance frameworks among West African universities would enable institutions to share best practices, validate innovations more efficiently, and strengthen trust among students, employers, and development partners.
Dr Gaye concluded that when quality assurance is regarded as an enabler rather than a barrier, it empowers institutions to innovate confidently while delivering education that meets both local needs and global standards.
The monthly virtual colloquium attracted participants from universities across the entire West Africa subregion.
