Africa’s universities face a defining choice: continue adapting to change or position themselves to shape the continent’s future.
That was the central message from Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole, secretary-general of the Association of African Universities (AAU), during his keynote address at Africa Universities Week 2026.
Speaking under the theme “The Future-Ready African University: Setting the Scene”, Oyewole argued that higher education institutions across the continent must fundamentally rethink their purpose as artificial intelligence, climate change, technological disruption and demographic shifts reshape societies and economies.
“The question before us is not simply whether African universities will survive the future,” he told delegates. “It is whether they will help Africa shape it.”
According to Oyewole, traditional assumptions that have underpinned universities for centuries are increasingly being challenged.
Knowledge is no longer scarce, professors are no longer the sole source of expertise, and learning is no longer confined to lecture halls and libraries.
Instead, universities must focus on helping students interrogate knowledge, distinguish truth from misinformation, solve complex problems and create societal value.
“The future university must be more than a repository of knowledge,” he said.
Rather than preparing graduates for jobs that currently exist, universities should equip them to create entirely new industries and opportunities, he argued.
The AAU secretary-general said African universities face a particular responsibility because of the continent’s youthful population and persistent development challenges.
Africa continues to grapple with unemployment, weak industrialisation, food insecurity, climate vulnerability, limited research commercialisation and inadequate investment in innovation.
“These are not merely economic and political problems,” Oyewole said. “They are also knowledge problems.”
He argued that universities must become strategic instruments of societal transformation, generating solutions that respond directly to Africa’s development needs.
Central to that transformation is a move away from conventional disciplinary silos.
He said challenges such as food security, health, energy, urbanisation and climate change cannot be solved within individual academic departments.
Instead, universities must adopt interdisciplinary approaches that bring together expertise from science, engineering, economics, governance and technology.
Oyewole also challenged the traditional model in which students acquire a degree at the beginning of their careers and rely on that qualification for decades.
With artificial intelligence rapidly changing workplaces and professions, lifelong learning will become essential.
Micro-credentials, flexible learning pathways, short courses and continuous professional development should become core features of future universities, he said.
Research must become more impactful.
Africa needs more research, but success cannot be measured solely through academic publications, according to Oyewole.
Universities should be judged on whether their research solves problems, influences policy, generates technologies and supports economic development.
“What problems does our research solve? What technologies does it generate? What enterprises does it create?” he asked.
He also urged universities to move beyond institutional prestige and focus on societal relevance.
While rankings and international recognition remain important, universities should ultimately be assessed by their contribution to communities, industries and national development.
Beyond technology and innovation, Oyewole warned that universities must not lose sight of their responsibility to develop ethical leadership and responsible citizenship.
Africa needs graduates capable of creating jobs, scientists capable of solving African problems and leaders who understand the relationship between knowledge, ethics and development, he said.
“Knowledge without character can become dangerous, innovation without responsibility can become destructive, and technological advancement without human development can deepen inequality.”
He concluded by challenging universities to move beyond adaptation towards leadership.
“A modernised university is important. A future-ready university is essential. But I believe that Africa must aspire to build future-creating universities,” he said.
“The future of the African university is inseparable from the future of Africa.”
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