A major development initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa within the past two decades which deserves to be better appreciated is the network of universities known as the Nelson Mandela Universities of Science and Technology. These institutions are the brainchild of the late icon who made a passionate case to the World Bank to support the establishment of world class centres of learning to help leapfrog development on the continent by improving education in Science Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI).
The mandate of these institutions is to train and develop the next generation of African scientists and engineers, a move which is expected to have a profound impact on Africa’s development. According to the Madiba’s vision, these will serve as the fulcrum of a technology-driven, youth-based renaissance on the continent.
This game-changing vision which is being executed by the Nelson Mandela Institute (NMI) with support by numerous partners across the world has led to the setting up of three institutions so far. The first of these was the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) Abuja. Established in 2007 in Nigeria’s Federal Capital, Abuja, AUST which offers graduate level programs at the Masters and doctorate level has often been described as the hidden gem of science and technology in Nigeria.
As the first institution to be established by NMI, AUST should naturally serve as the test case for this grand pan-African initiative. Twelve years down the line, it is worthwhile to examine how successful the university has been in reflecting Mandela’s vision, and what value it holds for its host country, Nigeria.
AUST offers degrees which meet the highest international standards, are accepted by respected institutions across the world and comply meet the accreditation requirements of the National Universities Commission. The high proportion of AUST graduates awarded international fellowships and who are accepted research and teaching jobs in respected institutions abroad is therefore not surprising.
A good example is Dr. Yekini Shehu who was awarded the first PhD from AUST in 2012. He was invited as a visiting scientist by the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Pretoria, South Africa in 2016 and has since been awarded several international fellowships. Shehu continues to distinguish himself, winning awards and being accorded recognition within the global academic community.
But he certainly isn’t the only AUST alumnus doing the university and Nigeria proud on the world stage. After Blessing Onyeche Ugwoke obtained her M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from AUST, she was selected for the “Debut in Research: Young Talents from Africa Prize” and received the Eni Award for Excellence which has been dubbed “the Nobel Prize for Energy”. Incidentally, Ugwoke’s M.Sc. studies at AUST were supported by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) through a special grant which targets young Women in Science and Engineering.
Ugwoke is currently studying for a Ph.D at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, working on the efficiency of off-grid renewable energy systems in Africa.
The special focus by AUST on technologies which are especially relevant to the continent has often resulted in the creation of original products such as bamboo cycles and ceramic water filters which were conceptualised, designed and produced in the institution using local materials.
There is also a tremendous amount of research in areas such as renewable energy and cancer treatment. A key example of this is the research by Kwabena Kan-Dapaah, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana. His doctoral research work at AUST focused on Implantable Composite Devices for the Localized Treatment of Cancer. His efforts in cancer research are aimed at finding cost effective strategies that minimize side effects associated with conventional cancer treatment methods.
Stella Obiageli Ozie-Nwachukwu is another AUST alumnus who has contributed to the efforts in cancer research at the institution. Her research into Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Targeted Drug Delivery showed that gold nanoparticles are capable of providing non toxic carriers for drug and gene delivery applications.
Ozie-Nwachukwu’s research is part of the collective efforts at AUST to find ways to treat the type of breast cancer which is peculiar to Africans. Some of these strains such as the triple negative strain of breast cancer currently lack effective treatment methods hence the need to develop solutions tailored to them. In addition to seeking strain-specific treatment solutions, the research efforts at AUST are also aimed at developing therapies that will be affordable to Africans.
Sister Maria Chiyerem Onyekanne, a PhD student at AUST is also currently participating in research work focused on the triple negative strain of breast cancer. Onyekanne’s research involves a “localised treatment” which targets the cancerous cells without causing more harm by destroying surrounding cells.
Also notable is John David Obayemi’s research into Nano and Micro Particles for the Detection of Cancer. This research which was carried out at AUST focused on engineered theranostic particles nanoparticles/drug clusters/medical devices as well as tissue engineered structures for specific targeting and localized treatment of cancer.
These efforts are relevant to AUST as an institution whose vision is tied to Africa’s future, because cancer is a major health challenge affecting the continent. Current World Health Organisation data shows that Africa, Asia and Central and South America account for 70% of the world’s cancer deaths.
But beyond its unique vision for development of science, engineering technology and innovation (SETI) in Africa, in what other ways does AUST stand out? And how Nigerian is this international university?
The name itself is a statement of what the university represents within the community of universities in Nigeria: a pan-African educational institution that upholds the highest quality standards on the continent, and provides a culturally diverse learning environment.
AUST certainly lives up to this ideal. It draws students from across Africa allowing for a unique mix of nationalities and cultures. The university has admitted students from more than one third of the countries that make up sub-Saharan Africa. AUST has produced 434 Masters and 31 PhD graduates from 18 African countries in its 12 years of existence. Thus, AUST’s Nigerian students who make up 60 percent of its student population are part of the pan-African science and technology beachhead for Africa that Mandela envisioned.
AUST’s cultural diversity is also strongly reflected in its faculty which is drawn from accomplished academics from different African countries and a visiting faculty drawn from an international network of scientists and engineers, members of the African Scientific Committee (ASC) and an International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB).
Equally impressive is the governance and management of AUST which is entrusted to high profile professionals who have made their mark in various fields of endeavour. The Governing Council of the university oversees the day-to-day administration of AUST and is led by a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe and the President of the university is Professor Charles Chidume, a respected Mathematics scholar. The appointment of such high profile Nigerians to leadership positions at AUST demonstrates that Nigeria is not merely the host country of this university. Its citizens play very active leadership roles in an institution that is driving educational development in West Africa and beyond.
Nigeria and other African countries are reaping tangible benefits from the establishment of AUST as her alumni ply their expertise on the continent. Statistics show that 80% of AUST alumni are working and teaching in important institutions and private sector organizations in Africa.
These excellent returns from a university that is only in its twelfth year hint at a bright future for AUST, its host, Nigeria and the continent at large. Therefore, as the first of the NMI’s centres of excellence to come on stream AUST is clearly living up to the vision which birthed it.
Ebitan Egbuson
***Egbuson is a public affairs analyst in Abuja
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