Her Excellency Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, has urged academic staff associations across Africa to champion the cause of academic freedom and institutional autonomy as pillars of democracy, innovation, and social progress.
Speaking through her Chief of Staff, Mr. Alex Segbefia, at the opening ceremony of the ACAF Conference on Academic Freedom for Academic Staff Associations in Africa, held at the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), University of Ghana, Legon, the Vice President commended the gathering of 44 academic staff associations (ASAs) from across the continent for creating a platform for dialogue and collective action.
The three-day conference, themed “Safeguarding Academic Freedom in Africa: A Continental Dialogue for Collective Action,” brings together university leaders, scholars, and policymakers to examine the evolving role of ASAs in protecting academic freedom and promoting democratic governance in higher education institutions.
A Legacy of Advocacy
Drawing on her experience as a former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Opoku-Agyemang reflected on the historical evolution of academic staff associations in Africa. Initially focused on welfare issues such as remuneration and working conditions, these associations gradually expanded their mandate to include advocacy for tenure, governance reforms, and protection of academic freedom in the face of political interference.
She noted that during the 1970s through the early 1990s, under one-party and military regimes, African academics increasingly turned to the language of academic freedom as a shield against state encroachment on university spaces. This period, she said, cemented the link between intellectual freedom, institutional autonomy, and broader struggles for democracy and human rights.
Foundational Declarations on Academic Freedom
The Vice President highlighted two landmark moments in the continental movement for academic freedom: the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Academic Freedom and Social Responsibility of Academics (1990) and the Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility (1990).
“These documents,” she said, “affirmed the right of all members of the academic community to teach, research, write, and share knowledge without fear of interference or repression.”
She also referenced international instruments such as the 1997 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, noting that all recognise the importance of academic freedom as a cornerstone of education and human development.
Ghana’s Commitment to Academic Freedom
Touching on Ghana’s national context, Professor Opoku-Agyemang reaffirmed that the 1992 Constitution of Ghana explicitly upholds academic freedom. However, she recalled with concern the 2018 Public University Bill, which, she argued, would have undermined university autonomy by granting excessive powers to the executive branch.
“The bill was resisted by the university community, civil society organisations, and the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences,” she said, reiterating her long-standing opposition to any legislation that threatens the independence of higher education institutions. “A bill that gives the President the power to appoint and fire vice chancellors, or allows a minister to dictate university policy, has no place in a democracy.”
A Call for Leadership and Collaboration
In her concluding remarks, the Vice President urged participants to use the conference as a springboard for developing new strategies to strengthen leadership and governance within Africa’s universities.
“I encourage you to deliberate on how leadership development can promote academic freedom and democratise university systems,” she said. “Academic staff associations must engage in constructive dialogue with governments, university management, and students to ensure that universities remain spaces for critical thought and the pursuit of truth.”
She further commended ACAF for taking steps to bridge the existing gap in continental advocacy, noting the absence of a unified body representing African academics before the African Union and its human rights institutions.
“The establishment of ACAF marks an important step toward collective representation at the continental level,” she concluded. “It is only through such unity and shared purpose that we can truly safeguard academic freedom and ensure higher education serves as a catalyst for Africa’s democratic and developmental aspirations.”
Story by: George Osei-Akoto Addae (Teacher Kojo) #www.ahotoronline.com/oseiakotor1@gmail.com