The West Africa Hub of The Education Collaborative has concluded its 2025/2026 fiscal year, celebrating four years of fostering collaboration among universities across the region and reaffirming its commitment to improving student outcomes through shared leadership.
Founded in 2022 on the belief that stronger collaboration among West African universities would deliver greater impact than isolated institutional efforts, the Hub has expanded to a network of 36 member institutions across seven countries.
Reflecting on the milestone, Assistant Director Rita Abla Dugbenu highlighted the critical role played by the Hub’s Strategic and Technical Committees in advancing its mission over the past year. According to her, the committees have helped shape the Hub’s strategic direction by setting priorities, strengthening programmes, mobilizing member institutions, fostering partnerships, supporting mentorship initiatives, and facilitating benchmarking visits.
Dugbenu emphasized that the Hub’s achievements have been driven by a culture of shared leadership, with university leaders across diverse countries and institutional contexts contributing their expertise to strengthen higher education across West Africa.
“What I value most is that this work is built on a shared commitment rather than individual institutions or interests,” she noted, adding that the willingness of university leaders to collaborate demonstrates a collective belief that regional cooperation benefits all participating institutions.
She also expressed appreciation to the Hub’s leadership and member institutions for their continued guidance, partnership, and dedication over the past four years.
Looking ahead, Dugbenu said the West Africa Hub will build on its existing foundation as it enters the 2026/2027 fiscal year. Key priorities include deepening regional collaboration, strengthening engagement with member institutions, expanding partnerships, and creating new opportunities to enhance learning, student success, and institutional impact across West Africa.