The demand for higher education greatly surpasses the supply. African countries have among the world s highest birthrates, and the age cohort demanding higher education is burgeoning. Africa in general has been in economic crisis for over a decade, and as a result its social institutions have suffered tremendously. One of the institutions that has been hard hit is higher education. Even worse, the literature on African higher education books, articles, reports is limited and often dated.
Careful analysis is rare.
Every country has its own social, economic, cultural, and political realities that have shaped its institutions of higher education. A generalized African approach may thus not show these specific features. While most African higher education systems stem from colonial implants, much has happened since independence to shape indigenous academic institutions and emerging systems. We believe it is time to address this deficit and fill the information gap with material on individual African countries. In addition to the country chapters, we will commission 10 to 12 overarching theme-based chapters.