Botswana to host Africa’s top agric, education conference
Kabelo Boranabi | Wednesday August 6, 2025 11:45
The country will bring the continent together for the 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity-Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), from December 2 to 6, 2025, in Gaborone. The pre-launch, held on Thursday at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), gathered key figures from government, academia and development institutions.
The event marked a significant moment for Botswana as it steps forward to host a platform shaping Africa’s agricultural and higher education landscape.
Higher Education Minister, Prince Maele, described the upcoming AGM as a crucial event for the continent’s future. He said Africa’s youthful population could be an asset if harnessed through education and skills development.
“We are sitting on a gold mine of youth talent. But if we do not equip them with skills, then we are wasting a massive opportunity,” he said.
Maele emphasised that Botswana is committed to that mission.
“The Government of Botswana, through its universities and research systems, will establish research-intensive institutions that provide science solutions to support economic diversification and resilience,” he said.
This year's RUFORUM conference is themed, 'Positioning Africa’s Universities and the Higher Education Sector to Effectively Impact Development Processes on the Continent'. The theme reflects a bold ambition to reform how universities train future agricultural scientists, policymakers, and innovators.
RUFORUM board chairperson, Professor Theresia Nkuo-Akenji, echoed that urgency when speaking virtually from Cameroon.
“African higher education is currently at a crossroads, facing three major challenges such as public demand for better results, too few jobs for graduates, and shrinking global funding,' she said.
“These issues underscore the urgency to position Africa’s universities to effectively impact development. It is imperative that we take bold action to revitalise the place of higher education as a driver of Africa’s development agenda.'
Botswana’s hosting of the event places it at the centre of continental agricultural reform efforts.
With its universities, BUAN, the University of Botswana (UB), and the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), already part of the RUFORUM network.
The country stands to gain through partnerships, skills development, and increased influence in African education discourse.
For his part, BUAN vice-chancellor, Professor Ketlhatlhogile Mosepele, noted that agricultural productivity in Africa has stagnated.
“Agricultural productivity in many African countries has just reached the 1960s levels when the continent’s population was 284 million, compared to today’s 1.38 billion.
“Boosting innovation through research is key to changing that narrative. RUFORUM gives us the platform to co-create solutions. No single country or university can do this alone,” he added.
RUFORUM, a network of 124 universities in 38 African countries, supports over 6,200 master’s and 2,800 PhD students across the continent.
Its mission is to build Africa’s scientific capacity, especially in agriculture through collaboration, mobility, and innovation.
Pre-conference activities are already underway, including training programmes, policy discussions, and innovation workshops focused on strengthening science and agriculture across Africa as the countdown to December has begun.