Education is the womb of the national mind.
It is the incubator where the values, mentality, worldview, culture, and self-knowledge of a people are documented, developed and generationally transferred. It is the metallurgic workshop where the base metals of a society’s potential are fashioned into the firmest steel of realized abilities.
Thus, I often reflect and ask myself, “where is the preeminent higher education institution in Africa that is equal in strength to the best in other continents?”
It is my conviction and commitment that a world class higher education institution must arise in the African continent. An institution that pools together the brightest African scholars, academics, researchers, thought-leaders, administrators, officials, philosophers, and practitioners from across the world.
The institution would consolidate, synthesize, develop, and refine original African knowledge across all fields, thereby providing new directions and guidance for the generational progress and development of all societies in the continent. It would produce original thought, research, and developments that would be Africa’s contribution to the world. The cream of the crop in all African societies would go there to receive the educational anointing, thus ensuring that Africa would retain and develop its own talent.
Just like a physical body grows weaker by incessant bleeding, so the body of Africa grows generationally weaker by continually exsanguinating its talent. There is no long-term African development without closing this wound…and this would be one of the objectives of this institution which, appealing to indigenous nostalgia, can be christened “World University of Timbuktu”.
May the builders of the African future assemble to lay the foundation stones for this higher education endeavor, so that it may come to pass.
This is my vision for the future of Africa’s Higher Education.
~Dr. Ikenna Q. Ezealah
Nation Upbuilding 