AAU Hosts British Council Delegation to Advance Higher Education Access in Sub Saharan Africa

Understanding who has access to higher education, where gaps exist and what can be done to address them is central to strengthening higher education systems across Sub Saharan Africa. This is the focus of the ongoing State of Access to Higher Education in Sub Saharan Africa project being implemented through collaboration between the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the British Council.

The ongoing collaboration was highlighted through a visit to the AAU Secretariat in Accra by British Council representatives Etom Ofem, Lead for Higher Education Insights, Sub Saharan Africa, and Tosin Adeoti, Programme Manager, Higher Education, Nigeria.

As part of the engagement, the delegation had the opportunity to strengthen the partnership and advance work under the State of Access to Higher Education in Sub Saharan Africa project, a mixed methods study examining the factors shaping access to higher education and generating evidence to support efforts to expand equitable access to quality higher education across the region.

With higher education systems across Africa facing growing demand for university places, while institutions continue to navigate capacity, affordability, infrastructure and other access related challenges, reliable evidence is essential for developing effective responses. The project seeks to provide such evidence by examining both demand and supply within higher education systems.

The study spans seven countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Malawi, providing a diverse basis for understanding the different realities and opportunities shaping access across Sub Saharan Africa.

Among its key objectives, the project seeks to identify critical gaps between demand for higher education and available supply, examine how local and international partnerships can expand access and improve quality, assess areas where UK Sub Saharan Africa collaboration can be most feasible and impactful, and generate evidence-based insights to inform more inclusive higher education policies.

For the AAU, the initiative aligns with its broader commitment to strengthening higher education systems through research, knowledge exchange, policy engagement and institutional collaboration. By generating evidence across different national contexts, the project can contribute to a deeper understanding of the challenges affecting access and help identify opportunities for universities, governments and partners to respond more effectively.

The collaboration also highlights the value of partnerships in addressing complex higher education challenges. Expanding access cannot be achieved by universities alone. It requires cooperation among higher education institutions, governments, development partners, researchers and other stakeholders to understand emerging needs and develop sustainable solutions.

Through the State of Access project, the AAU and the British Council are working to strengthen the evidence base for these efforts and support policy and partnership approaches that can expand opportunities for learners across the region.

The initiative represents a shared commitment to ensuring that the growth of higher education in Sub Saharan Africa is accompanied by greater equity, quality and responsiveness to the needs of learners and societies.