The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has called on Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) to work towards creating a brighter future for Africa’s higher education.

Speaking at the closing session of the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Dr Apaak stated that in the spirit of collaboration and collective progress, “I urge us all to depart from the celebrations of the last two days with a renewed commitment to engage with each other and work towards the program’s financial and institutional sustainability.

“Let us harness the momentum generated during this conference to drive meaningful change and propel Africa’s development. Together, we can create a brighter future for Africa’s higher education sector and, by extension, the continent’s economic and social development.”

Ghana’s Deputy Education Minister commended the distinguished Ministers and other high-level delegates who made time to join the conference in Accra.

“I would like to further extend special appreciation to all the governments of the participating countries, the World Bank management and team, the French Development Agency (AFD), the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), the Association of African Universities (AAU), and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) for their unwavering support and guidance throughout the 10-year journey of the ACE program. Your commitment to excellence and dedication to the program’s success have been invaluable,” Dr Apaak stated.

He also acknowledged the tireless efforts of the implementing partners, including the Vice Chancellors, Centre leaders, and teams from the various universities.

Dr Apaak commended them for their unwavering commitment to supporting and enabling the transformation of postgraduate education initiated under the ACE program.

“Your leadership, expertise, and institutional support have been instrumental in shaping the program’s achievements, and we are grateful for your partnership and collaboration. To all the Ministers for Education and Finance who have been with us throughout this auspicious event, we truly appreciate your time and invaluable contributions.

“Together, let us maintain the bright, flaming torches of the 80 Centres of Excellence in Africa and Djibouti. In the next decade, let us strive for even more vibrant centres—not only vibrant in themselves, but also in the graduates and faculty they produce, who go on to achieve great exploits and foster enterprises that uplift communities from poverty.

“I wish you all safe travels and look forward to the remarkable progress that is certain to unfold as we move forward on the ACE journey. The next chapter of ACE is in our hands, and I have no doubt that together, we will achieve even greater accolades for our centres, our universities, our countries, and for the development of Africa and the world.”