The Association of African Universities (AAU) has ushered in a new era of leadership with the election of Professor Kenneth Kamwi Matengu, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, as its 14th Governing Board President. The announcement was made during the 16th General Conference of the AAU held at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Rabat, Morocco.
Matengu, who secured 67.1% of member votes in a closely contested race, takes over from Prof. Bakri Osman Saeed of Sudan at a time when Africa’s higher education systems face mounting pressure to respond to inequality, global competitiveness, and a deepening learning crisis.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Matengu reflected on his humble upbringing as the son of rural subsistence farmers in Namibia, offering a personal yet powerful message to Africa’s academic community: “Your past should not limit your purpose.” Framing his appointment as a “continental responsibility,” he pledged to champion transformative reforms that realign African universities with the continent’s developmental aspirations.
Among his top priorities is addressing the learning crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of 10-year-olds are unable to read or write at grade level. Matengu is also committed to harmonising academic standards across the continent, advancing inter-African academic mobility, and accelerating recognition of qualifications and research credentials between institutions.
He proposed the launch of leadership fellowships to nurture Africa’s next generation of university heads and called for a shift in how global partnerships engage African institutions—not as aid recipients, but as equal co-creators of global knowledge.
“We must cultivate a ‘conversion capability’ for Africa,” said Matengu. “Where research translates into innovation, and education becomes the foundation of empowerment.”
He paid tribute to his predecessor, Prof. Bakri Osman Saeed, for leading the AAU through a challenging era of post-pandemic rebuilding, and thanked Prof. Olusola Oyewole, AAU Secretary-General, for advancing key initiatives, including the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE), the HAQAA quality assurance system, and CHINNOVA, a regional climate-health innovation network.
Matengu was joined on the newly appointed Governing Board by respected leaders from across Africa, including Prof. Sanctus Niragira (University of Burundi) and Prof. Hunud Abia Kadouf (International University of Africa), representing the Eastern Africa region. The Board is tasked with reinforcing the AAU’s mandate as Africa’s premier coordination body for higher education policy, quality assurance, and research collaboration.
A major focus for the new leadership will be the implementation of the Rabat Resolutions, a suite of policy commitments made during the General Conference. These include expanding access for refugees and persons with disabilities, embedding artificial intelligence and digital literacy into university curricula, and scaling up open-access African research platforms like the African Platform for Open Scholarship (APOS).
Closing with a message to the continent’s youth, Prof. Matengu challenged them to reject narratives of victimhood and rise to Africa’s innovation moment:
“Africa’s challenges are not curses—they are calls to innovate.”
As the AAU enters a new chapter under Matengu’s leadership, the higher education sector anticipates a more dynamic, inclusive, and African-led transformation, placing universities at the heart of the continent’s quest for prosperity and global relevance.
Article by Jed Mwangi
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