27 September 2010

 Press Statement for Immediate Release

DISCLAIMER: RE-VISA SCANDAL AT FOREIGN MINISTRY

The Secretary-General of the All-Africa Students Union has received the news of the visa scandal linked to one Mr. Karim Hakib by the embassy of the United States of America in Ghana as reported in the Ghana news web of today 27 September 2010. We want to dissociate the AASU Secretariat from this sad occurrence. Mr Karim Hakib is neither a staff nor officer of the All-Africa Students Union. He was once elected as representative of the National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS to the Secretariat of AASU but was recalled by the NUGS for gross misconduct by the same union in a letter dated 10^th December 2009 and addressed to the Secretary-General of AASU. (Please see the attached). It was also on record that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ghana was duely notified of his removal.

We are also aware that Mr. Hakib Karim has been impersonating the union since his removal and at a point arrogated to himself the position of the AASU Acting Secretary-General to defraud the unsuspecting members of public.  We formally intimated the Police of our discovery of an account illegally opened on the name of the All-Africa Students Union, AASU, at the Medina branch of the United Bank of Africa, UBA, in Accra by same Mr. Abdul-Karim Hakib and one Mr. Haford Amoh.  These two people are not AASU officers and they are not in anyway directed to open an account in the name of AASU.

When this illegal account was discovered in January 2010, we contacted the bank through a letter dated 5^th January 2010. The mode at which the account was opened to covertly clear a cheaque worth Thirteen thousand two hundred Cedis (13, 200 GHC within two days was highly suspicious. An official report was subsequently made on this matter to the Police CID Department at Ghana Police Headquarters on the 6^th of January 2010 leading to the arrest of the two suspects involved in the opening of the account.

Shortly after their arrest, we received a phone call from Mr. Kingsley Karimu, a Director in the African section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who claimed to be calling on behalf of the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs. He claimed that the Hon. Minister has directed that the case be withdrawn from the Police with an assurance of looking into the matter as soon as possible. To our surprise, nothing has been done about the issue till date and we are beginning to doubt if truly Mr. Kingsley Karimu acted on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On our side, we have reported this issue of criminal invasion of the AASU Secretariat directly to the President of Republic of Ghana, Prof. Atta Mills. The president ordered the Ministry of Education to intervene of which Mr. Hakib Karim was instructed by the Ministry to leave the AASU office immediately after lengthy investigation to authenticate the claims against him.

Finally, we want to assert that AASU is a continental body that only has her headquarters in Ghana based on a Protocol Agreement signed with the Ghana government in 1987 which recognizes AASU as a regional organization hosted by NUGS and supported by Ghana government. We will not allow any individual to rubbish the integrity of our union and we hereby condemn such criminal act. We also call on the Police to conduct through investigation and bring to book all those involved in the ignoble act.

Olufemi Lawson

Office of the Secretary-General, AASU

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: INVITATION TO AASU 10^TH CONGRESS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

To all member unions and friendly organizations,

The Executive Committee of the All-Africa Students Union, AASU, hereby announces that the 10^th AASU Congress will be held from 27 – 30 September 2010 at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria. This four day constitutional event will bring together all member unions of AASU and friendly organizations from across the African continent and the Diaspora with the aim of creating dialogue, discussion and debate around key leadership opportunities and/or challenges facing the African continent. The last Congress of AASU was in Tripoli in the year 2000 but AASU has not been able to organize this event despite the fact that the Congress suppose to be every four years event.

Ten  years since the last Congress in Tripoli, Libya, the All-Africa Students Union, AASU  is co-operating with the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS to host the 10^th Congress of AASU in Abuja, Nigeria from 26^th – 30^th September 2010.

As you may recall, the Executive Committee Meeting (EC) of AASU held in Accra between April 30 and 1st May 2010 and hosted by the National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS where the hosing right was granted to Nigeria to host the 10th Congress of the All-Africa Students Union

It is thus with great pleasure that the All-Africa Students Union and the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, to invite you to participate in the 10^TH Congress of AASU, which will focus on the theme: “Defining Values for Tomorrow’s African Progressive Leadership”.

In the spirit of the previous meetings, the agenda is quite open to a variety of discussions. Every effort will be made to accommodate projects and proposals generated by each organization, and to develop a consensus for a common activity plan. The Congress as a supreme organ will also elect new members of the executive committee and the secretariat (See attached election nomination form). The following positions will be opened for contest by member unions at the congress; President, Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, Secretary for Administration and Finance, Secretary for Education and Students right, and finally Secretary for Press and Information.

Included in this mailing are the registration form, and draft agenda and schedule, to provide you with the information required to participate fully in the meeting.  We also ask that each organization submit a written activity report and any proposals for the meeting in advance, so that proper consideration can be given to these documents.

All accommodations, meals, materials, and transportation within Abuja will be covered by the AASU and NANS, as the meeting hosts. We ask that each organization register a no more than five (5) people.

Other relevant documents will also be available on the website as they become available. Please all enquiries about visas and other technical issue should be forwarded to the Central Planning Committee at cpc@aasu.org.gh. Also, feel free to contact Mr. Oludare Ogunlana, Secretary-General of AASU at secgen@aasu.org.gh or +234-802-648-1890, +233-642-4937 for details or assistance. Any organization seeking travel grant must submit activities report (See attached Directory of student organization)

Please do not hesitate to contact the Central Planning Committee or National Association of Nigerian Students with regards to the 10^th congress or any other matter – we are at your service.

 In student solidarity,

 Signed:

 Ali Hamil Suleman El Cabter

President, All-Africa Students Union

president@aasu.org.gh, ali_19964@yahoo.com

Tel; +218-913-658-110

AASU Congress Bulletin!

Accra, 29 June 2010

SASCO Backs AASU Congress in Nigeria as Libya requested for 30 days extension because of “Ramadan”.

The South African Students Congress, (SASCO) has given its full support to the hosting of the forthcoming 10th congress of the All Africa Students Union AASU, by the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in Nigeria between 26th -30th, September 2010. The Congress that was earlier scheduled for the month of  August 2010 was shifted by one month at the instance of AASU member unions from the North Africa Arab region in observances of Ramadan Muslim fast that falls within the month of August and early September.

The endorsement by SASCO was conveyed to the organization during a meeting between top Executives of SASCO and the Secretary General of AASU, Oludare  Ogunlana who was in South Africa recently as part of the delegation of the President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to the Historic opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World cup.

The opportunity of the meeting between members of SASCO and the AASU Secretary General which was held at the ANC Headquarter in Johannesburg, South Africa was also used to clear the air on several misgivings that has been attributed to the SASCO on the illegality being perpetrated by some individuals against the legitimate administration of the Union in the host country, Ghana. Although, SASCO expressed concerns about the inability of AASU to hold its Congress since the last one in Libya since the year 2000 due to the problem beyond any individual control. This was attributed to lack of commitment by member unions, lack of information from Secretariat to member unions and also lack of financial resources to finance the event.

SASCO denied the claim made by Mr. Habib Karim a former representative of the host union NUGS at the AASU secretariat that they had purportedly written a letter signifying SASCO preparedness to host the AASU congress. This information, SASCO, described as untrue because the major preoccupation of the Government and perhaps the people of South Africa for the year 2010 remains the successful hosting of the World Cup football mundial and also the World Youth festival scheduled for South Africa in December 2010. According to the Deputy President of SASCO, she said; “we made it clear to the AASU representatives led by Karim that it was not possible when they requested that the Congress should be held in South Africa in April 2010” – Mbali Hlophe

SASCO used the opportunity of the meeting to pledge support and assist the AASU Secretariat in every possible area to ensure a successful congress in Abuja, Nigeria in September while also assuring the Secretary General of their determination to ensure the effective mobilization of all Member Unions within the South African sub-region to participate in the Congress. The General Secretary of SASCO in his word reinstated as follow; “it is not in our character to discuss individual but great ideas”. - Commissar Lazola Ndamase .

Also in his remarks, the AASU Secretary-General thank the member of SASCO for all the support and encourage them to remain focus and be committed while SASCO remains the pillar for AASU and other student movement in Africa. He lamented that “the international Union of Students is facing similar challenges and it is our responsibility to rally round to help the union out”. Mr. Oludare Ogunlana will step down as AASU Secretary-General at the 10th Congress of AASU, having represents Nigeria for 10years at AASU as the Secretary-General and Head of the Mission in Ghana.

AASU member unions will gather in the beautiful city of Abuja for one week to set up a new cause for the union which held her last Congress 10 years ago in Tripoli, Libya. Lack of Congress as at due time in the year 2005 has almost crippled the activities of the union.  Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will declare the event open on September 27, 2010 at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Abuja under the theme; “Defining Values for Tomorrow's African Progressive Leadership".

AASU mobilization policy for this meeting is to equip youths and students with the quality of Pan-African mentality necessary and germane for the sound and speedy achievement of African Integration similar to European Union, the renew campaign for Africa’s International Debt Cancellation, Africa’s Conflicts Resolution, Africa’s HIV/AIDS Problem Resolution, and Africa’s Accelerated Development.

The list of member unions and friendly organizations expected at the event is as follows;

Member Unions of All-Africa Students Union

Accra, 4 June 2010

GUIDELINES FOR FORMULATION OF AGENDA MAJOR AND PRIORITY AREAS FOR DISCUSSION

We are preparing for our 10th Congress in a qualitatively different political climate in Africa and in the world than that of our last Congress in Libya in March 2000.  The dramatic and rapid changes that the world witnessed recently had affected, among other areas, the international students’ movement and posed different challenges and difficult tasks.  These developments inevitably forced every body to readdress the new reality.  In the student’s front, European Students Union, ESU is currently at the forefront at mobilizing regional student platform for Global Students Movement coalition. There have been meeting in Paris on two occasion with the aim at coming out with a radical plan to make the international student platform to survive.

In Africa, the situation is that as a result of the external factors coupled with the internal process significant changes occurred in a number off countries, in which the student played a formidable role.  The most potent political Agenda in this process today is the question of democracy and how to institutionalize.  This of course needs to radically reform the existing socio-political institutions in the continent by way of introducing structural changes, and to make them more democratic, effective, efficient, dynamic, accommodative and viable to respond and progress the new reality.

AASU as one of these institutions is no exception to be reformed to project the anticipated aspirations and thinking of the African students.  This means the AASU 9th Congress has to address by necessary a number of unavoidable challenges that face the African students.

As a result of these problems mentioned above, some opportunists have taken the advantage of these inadequacies to hijack the office of AASU in Ghana despite the fact that they do not have mandate from any of AASU member unions. The host union, National Union of Ghana Students seems to be helpless because of the political connection of these elements in Ghana.

At this stage the Secretariat has a historical responsibility to formulate a comprehensive and precise Agenda on the major issues and priority areas to be presented before the Congress for a genuine debate.

The following are some of the issues that constitute the Agenda: 

1)      The AASU Constitution:  The constitution needs a thorough review  including:

1.      The Preamble

2.      The Membership: qualification

3.      Governing bodies.

4.      Election

5.      Definition of students organization

6.      The motto

2)      AASU Structure:

1.      Congress  - The period

2.      Executive Committee  - Composition, period

3.      Secretariat, composition.

 3)      The Headquarters:

Clearly and precisely defined relations with and the obligation and the responsibility of the following with the Secretariat has to be formulated:

1.      The host organization 

2.      The host country.

 4)      The Regional Offices:

In order to decentralize the decision making, to ease the communication and to monitor the situation from within, the following sub-regional AASU offices can be proposed for consideration:

1.      East Africa: Head Offices

2.      West Africa: Head Office

3.      North Africa: Head Office

4.      South Africa: Head Office

5.      Central Africa: Head Office.

5)      Specialized Units and/or Centres and Departments

1.      AASU Research Centre

2.      Financial project unit

3.      Administration.

6)      Students Rights and Welfare

The traditional and classical way of operation in this field also has to be reviewed and rejuvenated.  New avenues have to be explored and new areas to be covered.  These include:

1.      Scholarship scheme

2.      Refugee students

3.      Unemployed graduates

4.      HIV/AIDS

5.      Academic freedom and university autonomy.

6.      Students Access and Quality Assurance

Accra, 27 May 2010.

Circular to: All Member Unions, friendly organizations, and relevant government agencies

Dear friends,

Re. AASU 10th Congress

The Executive Secretariat (ES) of the All-Africa Students Union, AASU is happy to extend warm and fraternal greetings to all member unions and wishes to announce the offer by the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS to host the 10th Congress of AASU in Abuja, Nigeria from 23 – 28 August 2010.

For some time now, a number of consultations have been taking place around the crippling problems of the AASU and their relation to a lack of Congress since the year 2000. Some of these consultations took place in South Africa in 2006, Libya and Sudan in 2008 to mention but a few. The most recent case was in April/May 2010 in Accra when the Executive Committee, EC had the opportunity to meet with a good number of member unions in Accra. At that Conference a consultative meeting was held at which a number of issues were discussed and some recommendations made. Once again, the main issue in the discussions amongst the member unions which were represented at the EC concerned an AASU Congress.

We are all aware of the fact that since the 9th Congress which took place in March 2000 in Libya it has been difficult for the organization to pull off a major constitutional event, which is Congress.

It should, however, be recalled that between 2004 and today many attempts have been made without the desired success. All these attempts woefully failed because of the continuing financial limitations of the AASU and the inability to get a country to host AASU Congress

Despite the different failures and all the problems that have been afflicting the organization, remaining ES members have always placed a constitutional event at the top of the agenda. With the encouraging support of some member unions we have continued to indefatigably explore every possible avenue to bring member unions together around a constitutional event where mutual problems can be seriously debated with productive conclusions.

At the time of the Conference in Accra the EC had received only one offer to host AASU congress from the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS. The consultative meeting, upon sober reflection, recommended that the Congress take place in Nigeria in August 2010.

Shortly after EC, however, another offer was received verbally from the National Union of Sierra Leone Students expressing similar interests.

In the circumstances, and the recommendation of the EC meeting in Accra notwithstanding, the ES was obliged to set new deadlines to allow NUSS, Sierra Leone to submit their offers concretely. Up until today the ES has not received any concrete offer in writing from NUSS. Presently we are left with concrete offer from Nigeria

Why Nigeria?

A lot of time has passed between 2000 and 2010, and quite clearly time is not on our side. We had to make a choice between the two offers available and of these two the Nigeria offer had the following comparative advantages:

• The AASU is well known to the incumbent President of Nigeria (H.E Dr. Goodluck Jonathan). He was a guest Speaker at the AASU EC in South Africa in 2006 and he is a member of Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award Alumni of AASU. He is willing to host AASU and offer support.
• Secondly, the NANS-Nigeria has promised to financially assist needy member unions, ES members, and technical staff in their international travel to Nigeria;
• Thirdly and equally importantly, they pledged to assist the ES financially in its preparations from the Headquarters.

For further details the two offers are available upon request.

In taking this decision the ES is aware of reservations exercised by some member unions particularly National Union of Sierra Leonean Students about an AASU event in Nigeria and Ghana. It should be recognized, however, that NANS is a full member of AASU and currently hold the position of AASU Secretary-General as represented by Mr. Oludare Ogunlana. Moreover, Ghana is the host country for AASU and National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS is the host union.  In this light and in the light of their comparatively advantageous offer, the ES could not be any more or less objective.

Having the Congress itself is highly constructive from every point of view for the AASU and its future. At the same time we believe that these constitutional events are not an end but a means for injecting a new life into our mutual organization. We are, therefore, hopeful that every member union will locate a priority place for the AASU Congress on their respective agendas as we prepare to go to Nigeria

How should member unions get involved?

We should particularly like to request of member unions the following modest support:

• Keeping a Constant flow of information with the Central Planning Committee and Secretary-General on every opinion about the future of the AASU. Indeed, we entreat each and every member union to communicate regularly with the headquarters, more than ever before in fact, as we enter into this landmark phase of preparing for the most important event of the organization;
• Developing perspectives for political, constitutional and financial reform of the AASU. Please, we should like to receive such perspectives to enrich preparations of working documents;
• Paying up membership fees prior to the Congress in the case where this has not already been done. You are advised to make all payments by certified cheque.
• Fundraising! Preparing for the Congress in this financially unsound stage for the organization requires all of us to do a little more to ensure memorable and productive outcomes; besides the financial support the host organization is pledging, there is a definite need to fundraise at your national levels to boost support for the preparations, international travel of others who otherwise cannot make it, and the and Congress expenses in general.

Obviously, and needless to say, the tasks are great, and the difficulties confront us everywhere, but with the understanding, commitment and cooperation of each and every one of us, we can put the AASU back in its rightful place. We are counting heavily on your understanding and cooperation.

Thank you and stay tuned.

 In solidarity,

 Oludare Ogunlana

Secretary-General, AASU

You may reach us on the Congress Central Planning Committee at the following:

cpc@aasu.org.gh

AASU endorse Brother Muammar Gaddafi of the Republic of Libya as the African Leader of the Year 2009

We wish to convey the endorsement of the Executive Committe, on behalf of the the secretariat of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU), for the rightful selection and confirmation of the Libyan Leader, Muammar Gaddafi as the African Leader of the Year 2009. As an associate member of Africa Renaissance Coalition, (ARCO), AASU considers this choice as very correct and pertinent in view of the purposeful leadership Gaddafi has given in his home country which has greatly transformed the human capital, citizens'welfare and infrastructural development of Libya. His one year as Chairman of the African Union, AU, also gave ideological bite to the relevance of Africa in the comity of Nations. In particular, his struggle which he pursued diligently to have the impoverished Africa continent transformed to a big confederal status of United States of Africa is a far-sightedness and courage par excellence in leadership. This vision really made Gaddafi a true legacy of Kwame Nkrumah, the sage and founder of modern Ghana Republic.

Accra, 15 August 2008.

Press Statement for Immediate Release

The All-Africa Students Union, (AASU), in conjunction with National Universities Education Students Association, (NUESA) of University of Ibadan will organise a public symposium on National Electoral Reform at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan on Wednesday 20 August 2008. The theme of the forum is; National Electoral Reform; Challenges and Prospects

The thematic foci of: National Electoral Reform; Challenges and Prospect was chosen to aggregate opinions of the often neglected strata of the society, the youth, students, civil society groups and the informal section consisting of those who do not seem to have a choice of their own, the flotsam and jetsam that are found in the market place, garages farms etc

As the national dialogue receives minimal attention from the people because of the bad experience of the last elections and Nigerians’ experiences with past insincere attempts at charting a people driven electoral reforms, our humble intention in organizing this public forum on the reform is to wake people up from the state of political inertia and make them participate in debate.

Appreciating the general ineptitude and despondency that NER Committee is viewed. The outcome of their recommendations is going to determine the political and social relations of Nigerians cutting across geo-ethnic, cultural and political groups, in fact, it is going to determine the continual mutual existence of Nigeria as a nation of nations

Experts, stake holders, media practitioners, political groups, civil society, youth and student organizations, the electorates and the general public will have the opportunity of the forum to look at the critical issues of elections, electoral processes, the electoral structures, party formations, election tribunal formation and the justice systems among other issues

Resolutions: it is expected that the resolutions from the public will form part of the memorandum to be submitted to NERC.

The choice of Ibadan as the venue is significant for its centrality in south west politics and as a melting point of political opinions and activities in Nigeria

H.E Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has confirmed his participation as a lead speaker while he will be honored at the forum as “Nigeria Pillar of Democracy” alongside with Alh. Attahiru Bafarawa a former Governor of Sokoto State and DPP presidential Candidate in 2007

Other expected guests include, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, Comrade Moshood Erubami, Professor G.G Darah, NBA chairman in Ibadan, Mr. Lanre Arogundade of IPC, NANS President, Student Leaders and Chairmen of political parties.

Oludare Ogunlana

Secretary-General, AASU

10th Annual Youth & College Leadership Summit

"Transforming Youth to Ignite Change",

October 31 - November 1, 2008. Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland.

Every November, NLLC hosts the Youth & College Leadership Summit. This event brings young leaders together from around the nation to develop leadership skills, discuss issues facing youth, and devise strategies to address these problems. Participants network and make valuable contacts to help in their personal, career, and organizational development. What makes this event unique is that since its inception, it has been planned and organized for youth, by youth.

All-Africa Students Union is a partner organization to the New Light Leadership Coalition and have facilitated the participation of young people and student leaders from Africa from the inception of the Leadership summit.

The corner stone of the event is skill building workshop provided for the participants pertaining to personal, social, educational, economic, political, technological, and organizational development. The following is the list of core topics

· Leadership Development

· Student Organizing

· Team Building

· Networking

· Entrepreneurship

· Career Development

· Public Speaking

· Financial Management

· Political Activism

Please contact us at aasusecgen@yahoo. com or secgen@aasu. org.gh for further information about your participation and registration fee.

AASU PERSPECTIVES ON HIGHER EDUCATION

UNESCO AFRICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON PROGRESS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, ABUJA, NIGERIA, 4 - 7 JUNE 2002

Ogunlana Oludare
Secretary-General, AASU. All-Africa Students Union (AASU) Secretariat State House Complex, Opp. Awudome Cemetery, P.O.Box M274, Accra Republic of Ghana
Tel: (233 - 24) 233092, (233-21) 784674 Fax: (233 - 21) 774821
Email: aasusecgen@yahoo.com Url: www.aasu.org.gh

Preamble
It is an unequivocal fact that access to higher education for all youths, is an indispensable imperative for global progress and development.

The necessity for the prioritization of higher education need not be overemphasized. National governments, regional and international organizations must design cogent, salable and practical policies for the attainment of the higher educational goals.

Of primordial concern to the All-Africa Students Union, AASU, is the unfettered and unimpeded access to higher education for all African youth and students. The increasing cost of higher education is of concern to AASU. Higher education must be of high quality and affordable to those determined in pursuing that direction.

AASU believes that African youth and students, who are especially disadvantaged in all facets of education, should be given special attention in the higher education framework.

Initial Progress Review
As an active player at the 1998 conference on Higher Education in Paris, the All-Africa Students Union is ardently committed to the goals set forth at the 1998 UNESCO's conference.

The All-Africa Students Union, as a continental student and youth organization, has, in accordance with the Action Plan of the World Conference on Higher Education, made considerable progressive efforts.

AASU has created a continental network of students and youth's group. Organized activities to sensitize national governments and international organizations on the importance of higher education and its availability to youth and students. We have done these in form of conferences in Ghana, Libya, South Africa, and the last one was in Nigeria on the New Information and Communication Technology (NICT) sponsored by the University of Ilorin and the National Universities Commission in Nigeria.

We have Engaged policy-makers in member states for the purpose of designing cogent and pragmatic programs for the success of the higher education goals. AASU has worked towards creating national and international consciousness on the higher education framework Galvanized efforts directed at encouraging women participation relative to the higher education framework with women empowerment in combating HIV/AIDS in the institutions of higher learning

AASU Perspectives on Higher Education
The issues around our higher education institutions, have, largely been access and quality.

Quality depends on maintaining a balance between enrollment levels and resources at a unit cost that allows the system to sustain itself, at an acceptable standard. As enrollments rise, budget allocations should keep pace.

The other alternatives, such as that enrolments should be capped temporarily at the level necessary to preserve the unit cost per student needed to maintain educational standards, and also the need to identify the educational service delivery without allowing quality to suffer calls for considerable analysis and debate to reach consensus on the appropriate learning systems to adopt.

In the end, increased in tertiary enrolment will be a sine qua non to the future development of the continent. Almost four years after the World Conference on Higher Education, we still identify the problems below as part of the impediments to Higher Education in Africa.

1) Funding: this constitutes a major obstacle to anticipated expansion in enrolment figures in tertiary institution. Rather than maximising financial support, as investment in higher education, African governments have focused investments in non-academic activities, and only mention budgetary allocations in greater quantum's, which in real terms do not reflect in the enrolment figures in the tertiary institutions. This, coupled with instituted charges and fees have kept away masses of students from facing entry into our higher institutions of learning

2) Infrastructure: In terms of academic and residential facilities, African universities have serious problems with coping with increasing numbers of students in all institutions. Difficulty in expansion and renovating old structures has been a bane on ensuring increased access.

3) Teaching/Academic Staff: Remuneration and other motivating incentives needed to attract young and able bodied academics and teaching staff has been a fundamental handicap to access, since ageing lecturers need replacement, and also to maximise the student- teacher ratio.

4) Policy Making: Governments have the responsibility to ensure renewal of higher education institutions in the form of policy and procedural reforms. Thus far, ill-conceived education reforms and policies have created a logjam in the higher education sector of various African countries. The lack of policies by governments and universities defining clearly the mission of tertiary institution has caused a disjuncted development in the education sector.

5) Mobility: The rigid nature of academic programmes and content of syllabi has rendered mobility in higher institutions problematic. A further diverse instructional module coupled with the multi-cultural setting of African higher institutions of learning has not offered the desired flexibility to transcend national barriers to further educational ambitions.

Relevance
Relevance in higher education in Africa is hampered and hindered by the followings: The lack of adequate academic materials in various disciplines to address the plight of the African people thereby making higher education relevant.
-The non-availability of the requisite manpower in important discipline at African institution of higher learning to obtain directed goals.

• The obsolescence of many curriculum components relative to the changing world order.

• The lack of pace of curriculum adjustments vis-a vis global technological progress.

• Inability of higher education on the continent to sufficiently impact, directly the lives of the African people in providing basic social services.

• Limited private sector involvement in making higher education relevant in industrial development as is the case with other continents.

In order to tackle and alleviate these impediments in African institutions of higher learning, the following are strongly recommended.

1. A radical and comprehensive overhaul of curricula at Africa's institution of higher learning for the purpose of making the curricula relevant to the needs and aspirations of the African continent.

2. Curricula should be re-designed, modified and adjusted to reflect rapid changes in science and technology.

3. To formulate mechanisms to draw a cogent link between the higher education and the private sector.

4. The provision of adequate funding to cope with the cost of curriculum development in making higher education relevant in Africa.

5. To ensure that development and progress are derivatives of higher education in Africa.

Regional Cooperation
Unfettered Regional co-operation is a sine-qua-non to the accomplishment of the higher education goals and targets if Africa is to be incorporated into the global framework. Internationalisation of education is a process, which provides individuals with skills, knowledge and attitudes to help them to better contribute to, and benefit from, society in general as well as an international environment.

Awareness of global links, development and transfer of knowledge and understanding are some of the keywords. Internationalisation of education can be achieved through the exchange of information, physical and virtual mobility of both students and instructors, the inclusion of global awareness into curricula, teaching of languages, and instilling into education openness towards other cultures. A lot of these elements should be put into practice. However, due to the fact that the level of transperency and integration is limited, their effects are not maximised.

Recommendations

1. The harmonisation of higher education policies on the continent
   

2. The strengthening of existing instruments and institutions of continental co-operation.
   *For instance, the Association of African Universities should be strengthened.
   

3. Increase exchanges amongst African academics for the purpose of networking on the higher education goal.
   

4. The elimination of all barriers, which are serving as impediments to continental co-operation. There should be bilingual policies instituted to serve as a gateway for regional co-operation with respect to the African Higher Education direction.
   

Thus the above recommendations will reap maximum benefits to the African peoples who are major stakeholders in the ultimate realisation of the higher education goals

Distance Learning
An important and emerging perspective of the higher education goals is distance learning.
This aspect also has many impediments:

• Inadequacy of the proper mechanism to facilitate effective distance learning.
  

• The high cost of Internet in Africa, which has become a major conduit for distance learning.
  

• The non-availability of computers to African students to facilitate distance learning.
  

• Lack of adequate modern technical facilities to allow African students network and linkup in the distance learning process.

Recommendations:

• To facilitate the distance learning process, the creation of a continental-wide network containing mechanism to enable distance learning.

• International student exchange which will provide the opportunity to students to mingle culturally thereby enhancing their understanding and appreciation of other cultures

At this point in time, we will like to maintain our old and evergreen slogan that "Education is a right, not a privilege". We should at this point in time understand the fact that "an educated mind is a liberated soul". Therefore, education must be freely made available for every citizen.

-There should be a national educational fund.
-Creation of financial institution to give loans out to students.
-Provision of scholarships by state institutions.

Student Organisations
To secure good student input at all levels, student unions and organisations capacity and knowledge cannot be underestimated. They should play a central role in their institutions development. Student organisations can provide their members with training courses and background information. They make sure the voice of the students are heard at all levels, and act as an intercommunicative body.

The creation and development of student organisations need active support from local, regional and international bodies and national governments. At the regional level also, student structures need support; morally, materially and financially to be able to play their rightful roles such as dissemination of information, student leadership training at all levels; as well as being the counterparts and interacting partners to institutions and decision makers, to make the students opinion heard.

Efforts to promote and strengthen international solidarity among student organisations in order to create continuous and constant interaction in defence of democracy and human rights must therefore be strongly supported.

We reaffirm the importance of free access to Higher Education, the fundamental role of the state in funding education, the autonomy of the institutions and the full participation of students in the decision making bodies in all aspects of the higher education system.

We as students are very grateful to UNESCO and NUC, particularly Prof. Peter Okebukola and Prof Juma Shabani who have working with Students for years, for giving us the opportunity together here at the regional conference

Thank you.

June 17, 2002

Dear Friends at ASA, ESIB, GUAS, OCLAE:

Re: Invitation to World Student Congress II * A Gathering of the Regional Students' Organisations and the International Union of Students
As you may recall, the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB) organised a meeting among the regional student organisations in October 2000, in Geneva, Switzerland. It was named the World Student Congress, and although it did not intend to mimic the mass world student congresses of the student movement of the 1940s, the name was an important symbol of the breadth and reach of today's students' organisations.

The purpose of that meeting was to provide a venue for exchange and planning, and to discuss follow-up from the United Nation's World Conference on Higher Education. Beyond simply providing a venue for discussion, this World Student Congress was a sign that the regional and international, representative students' unions had weathered the storm of the nineties and were ready to further consolidate their work on the big issues facing students and the student movement.

Two years later, after consulting with ESIB as the host of the first meeting, the International Union of Students is co-operating with the All Africa Students Union to host a second World Student Congress, in Accra, Ghana, from Thursday, August 22 until Sunday, August 25, 2002.

It is thus with great pleasure that the International Union of Students and the All Africa Students Union we invite you to participate in one of a series of Regional Consultations on the Future of the International Union of Students. These consultations are part of the follow-up process to the 17th Congress of the IUS.

In the spirit of the meeting in the year 2000, the agenda is quite open to a variety of discussions (see attached). Every effort will be made to accommodate projects and proposals generated by each organisation, and to develop a consensus for a common activity plan during the meeting.

Included in this mailing are the registration form, draft agenda, and schedule, to provide you with the information required to participate fully in the meeting. We also ask that each organisation submit a written activity report and any proposals for the meeting in advance, so that proper consideration can be given to these documents.

Please note that, in order to encourage full participation in the meeting, it is the intention of the host organisations to secure funding for international travel for 2 people from each organisation, to and from Accra. All accommodations, meals, materials, and transportation within Accra will covered by the IUS and AASU, as the meeting hosts. We ask that each organisation register a maximum of five people.

Other relevant documents will also be sent to your organisation as they become available. Please note that the IUS Executive Secretariat may be reached at ius@cfs-fcee.ca, or +1-204-797-2761 (Liz Carlyle in Canada). The All Africa Students Union may be reached at aasusgi@excite.com, or +233-24-233092 (Ogunlana in Ghana).

Please do not hesitate to contact the Executive Secretariat of the International Union of Students or the Secretary General of the All Africa Students Union with regards to the World Student Congress II or any other matter * we are at your service.

In student solidarity,

Frage Sherif                                                                            Ogunlana Oludare
Secretary General, IUS                                                           Secretary General,AASU
ius@cfs-fcee.ca

World Student Congress II Draft Agenda & Schedule
Draft Agenda