They range from enrolments of 1698 per 100,000 inhabitants in Egypt to 16 per 100,000 in Mozambique. In the francophone countries, the range goes from 958 in Morocco to 50 per 100,000 in Rwanda. Not surprisingly, there is a clear correlation between economic development and the number of students enrolled in higher education. This includes much of Sub-Saharan Africa. University education in agriculture in Africa is at a crossroads.
Financial constraints are severe and the demand for higher quality education has never been greater.
There is a need for greater educational relevance and higher quality graduates. There is an obligation to enrol more women and to produce students who are prepared to go on to positions of leadership. Some progress has been made. A recent FAO study shows that, in the past ten years, the enrolment of women in intermediate and higher level has increased from an average of 15 percent to nearly 25 percent of the total students studying agriculture in Africa. In the French language institutions, the results show an increase from 14 percent to 20 percent.