The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Japanese academic institutions have agreed to strengthen partnerships with African universities to transform them into centres of innovation and industrial development.
Speaking at a high-level symposium on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Tokyo, AfDB Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo, stressed that higher education is central to the continent’s growth strategy.
“Universities are not just centres of learning; they are engines of entrepreneurship and societal transformation,” Nwabufo said as she outlined the Bank’s five-pronged approach to integrate universities into Africa’s industrialisation drive.
The event, themed “From Campus to Community – University Collaboration between Africa and Japan for Real-World Change,” brought together leading scholars, policymakers and industry players to explore practical models for knowledge transfer, skills development and technology adoption.
Nwabufo also cited the Japan Africa Dream Scholarship, which has supported 41 African students in postgraduate programmes in both Japan and Africa, as a key example of collaboration.
Speakers from the University of Tokyo and the University of Pretoria shared success stories, including the deployment of drone technology in healthcare by programme alumni, and called for sustainable partnerships to drive innovation.
The AfDB reaffirmed its commitment to mobilising resources, strengthen university-industry linkages and promote technology-driven entrepreneurship as part of efforts to unlock Africa’s economic potential.
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