A reimagined African university system must dare to invent sustainable futures We have entered the second quarter of the 21st century. In 2050, we will be halfway through a century that is often predicted to be the African century. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Africa has huge potential for sustainable futures.
A regular refrain is that Africa possesses an unparalleled abundance of diverse resources — critical resources needed for the world’s economies. Not to mention a growing and youthful population, which constitutes the majority demographic group. Yet it seems everything is killing — literally and metaphorically — many Africans, young and old: violent and rapacious politics; corruption; wars and conflicts; violent crime; gender-based violence; injustice; hunger; disease; grinding poverty; crisis-level unemployment, especially among the youth; widening inequality; extractive local and external powerful actors dominating sclerotic economies; lack of access to comprehensive, quality education; climate change-related disasters; and more.
Yet it is not all doom and gloom. The sun shines most of the time in Africa. Africans smile, sometimes to stop from crying about its unnecessary tragedies.
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Africa has some emerging economies that portend better futures. Some Africans lead comfortable lives. There have been degrees of improvement in the lives of Africans compared with previous decades.
Yet the suffering of the majority of Africans is far greater than that of their fellow citizens around the world. It is unnecessary and cruel, given the potential of the continent. Africans deserve sustainable futures — dignity, peace, justice, prosperity and more.
Potential needs to translate into a higher quality of life across the board — and urgently. Otherwise, the constant repetition about potential rings hollow and sounds like a cruel joke. Everything that Africa needs to do to create sustainable futures requires high-quality, contextually relevant knowledge systems centred in universities.
Made-in-Africa, high-end, leading-edge knowledge is the key to unlocking and translating Africa’s potential. Knowledge based on imitation and adaptation has long reached its sell-by date. It has contributed to the current stasis that breeds crises.
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