African leaders, universities, governments, and industry players gathered in Accra, Ghana, for the inaugural Higher Education Transformation Convening hosted by the MasterCard Foundation. The meeting focused on how universities can better prepare young people for a changing labour market while strengthening research, innovation, and links with industry. The discussions aimed to address the need for higher education reforms to drive economic growth and create jobs. The convening brought together higher education institutions, the African Union, government ministries, financial institutions, industry, and young people.
MasterCard Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Sewit Ahderom emphasized that universities must move beyond traditional teaching and become institutions that contribute directly to economic development. She called for curricula developed with employers, qualifications that demonstrate what graduates can do, and stronger investment in technology, research, and innovation. Ahderom stated that transformation is not just about creating a better university but one that makes the whole economy around it work better for young people.
Participants at the convening also called for universities to strengthen partnerships with the private sector so that training and research respond to changing workforce needs. The discussions further focused on ensuring research moves beyond university campuses to support industries, governments, and communities. Institutions were encouraged to concentrate on areas where Africa has strategic advantages and the greatest potential for economic impact.
Dr John Nkengasong, Executive Director, Higher Education and Strategic Initiatives at the MasterCard Foundation, highlighted that Africa's growing youth population presents a major opportunity that requires stronger higher education systems. He emphasized that higher education transformation is not simply an education agenda but an economic imperative. Nkengasong called for governments, universities, industry, investors, and development partners to work together to develop systems that enable young people to acquire relevant skills and access decent work.
The discussions are aligned with the African Union's Decade of Education and Skills Development 2025–2034, which seeks to strengthen education and skills development in line with the continent's long-term development priorities under Agenda 2063. Prof Saidou Madougou, Director of the African Union Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, called on African countries to increase investment in higher education and research. Currently, higher education spending averages less than 0.8 per cent of GDP, while research and development receives less than 0.5 per cent of national budgets.
Madougou also called for greater collaboration among universities, increased movement of students and faculty across African countries, and systems that allow knowledge, talent, and innovation to move across borders. The convening saw the inaugural Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize awarded to five institutions recognized for implementing institution-wide reforms. The 2026 laureates are Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering in Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, Muni University in Uganda, and the University of Rwanda.
Each winning institution will receive $3 million to scale initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for young people. The AHEFT Prize, backed by a $500 million commitment, aims to recognise at least 150 institutions across Africa over the next decade. Young people participating in the meeting also called for greater involvement in decisions affecting education, employment, and access to opportunities. The meeting concluded with calls for governments, universities, industry, investors, and development partners to move from commitments to coordinated action.
Key points
- African leaders call for higher education reforms to drive economic growth and create jobs.
- The MasterCard Foundation convening in Accra, Ghana, brought together stakeholders to discuss the future of higher education in Africa.
- The African Union's Decade of Education and Skills Development 2025–2034 aims to strengthen education and skills development in line with the continent's long-term development priorities.
