Association of African Universities Appoints Dr. Thomas Philip Songu as Head of Information Technology

The Association of African Universities (AAU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Thomas Philip Songu as its new Head of Information Technology (IT).

Dr. Songu joins the Association with over two decades of experience in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), digital transformation, higher education, research, and technology policy. Prior to joining the AAU, Dr. Songu served as the Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Njala University, Sierra Leone, where he led the development and implementation of institutional ICT strategies and digital solutions. He also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Sierra Leone Research and Education Network (SLREN), spearheading initiatives that enhanced digital connectivity and research collaboration within Sierra Leone’s higher education and research ecosystem. In addition, he served as Sierra Leone’s focal person for Research4Life and Open Science, promoting equitable access to scientific knowledge and research resources.

Dr. Songu holds a PhD in Information Technology, an MSc in Information Systems Management, and a BSc in Mathematics. He is a certified PRINCE2 Practitioner and an ISO 27001, ISO 20000, and ISO 9001 Practitioner, reflecting his commitment to international standards in project management, information security, IT service management, and quality management. He is also a member of the British Computer Society and the Chartered Quality Institute. His research interests include digital learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, and Cybersecurity.

As Head of Information Technology, Dr. Songu will provide strategic leadership for the Association’s digital transformation agenda, ensuring that AAU’s ICT systems and services effectively support its mission of advancing higher education across Africa. He will oversee the planning, development, security, and management of the Association’s ICT infrastructure while leading initiatives that strengthen digital integration among AAU member institutions.

His responsibilities include developing and implementing AAU’s IT strategy, providing leadership for enterprise ICT operations, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, digital collaboration platforms, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems. He will also lead initiatives that promote Research and Education Networks (RENs), e-learning platforms, virtual classrooms, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and other innovative digital solutions that enhance teaching, learning, research, and institutional collaboration across the continent.

The Association warmly welcomes Dr. Songu to the AAU Secretariat and looks forward to his leadership in driving innovative, secure, and sustainable digital solutions that will strengthen the Association’s programs and enhance collaboration among African universities.

We congratulate Dr. Thomas Philip Songu on his appointment and wish him every success in his new role.