The following are short descriptions of the major institutions which have contributed to the shaping of Global African history. These encyclopedia entries serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources. For additional information please consult the print or website sources cited in the entry.
The Lycée Victor-Schœlcher is a secondary school located in Fort-du-France, Martinique. Initially built in 1902, the Lycée Victor-Schœlcher has served as the foundational home for significant intellectual figures of Caribbean literary, political, and philosophical traditions including Aimé Césaire, Léon-Gontran Damas, and Frantz Fanon. It is … Read MoreLycée Victor-Schœlcher (1902- )
Cuttington University in Liberia is the oldest private, coeducational, four-year degree granting institution and the oldest college or university in sub-Saharan Africa. Cuttington’s origins date back to 1887. In that year the Cape Palmas Missionary District of Liberia (of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the … Read MoreCuttington University (1887- )
Sankore Mosque and University is the oldest continuously-operating institution of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is believed that the mosque and university were erected in the 1100s C.E. (Twelfth Century) by Berbers who settled in the Timbuktu region of modern-day Mali. Mansa Musa I, … Read MoreSankore Mosque and University (c. 1100- )
The Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley, South Africa, named for pioneer black journalist, author, and founding member of the African National Congress, Sol Plaatje, is a 21st century public university. Created under Section 20 of the Higher Education Act of 1997, it opened its doors … Read MoreSol Plaatje University (2014- )
Obafemi Awolowo University, formerly known as the University of Ife, was founded in 1961 and is located in Ile-Ife, a city of 250,000 people in southwestern Nigeria. Ile-Ife is famous as the center of an ancient West African civilization and the home of a museum … Read MoreObafemi Awolowo University (1961- )
The University of Lagos was founded in 1962 in Yaba, Lagos by an Act of the Federal Parliament. Before the establishment of the University of Lagos in 1962, a teachers’ training college, Trade Center, and Yaba College of Technology were the only institutions in the … Read MoreUniversity of Lagos (1962- )
Musée de l’Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire, Dakar, Senegal Image Ownership: Public Domain One of West Africa’s premier research institutions, the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire (IFAN), was first created by the French Government in 1938. Established in Dakar, Senegal, the organization was originally called the Institut … Read MoreInstitut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire (IFAN) (1938– )
The University of the West Indies (UWI) is a public regional university unique in the world of higher education. The university is supported by and operating for the benefit of the people of 17 nations and territories in and around the Caribbean. These nations include … Read MoreUniversity of the West Indies (1948- )
The University of Ibadan, founded in 1948, is the oldest university in Nigeria and the only institution founded before the country became independent in 1960. The University of Ibadan is a federally-controlled public university located in Ibadan, Oyo State. As of 2009 it had an … Read MoreUniversity of Ibadan (1948- )
Founded on October 4, 1962, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) is a public university located in Zaria, Kaduna State in northern Nigeria. With over 35,000 students, it is the largest university in sub-Saharan Africa and the second largest on the African continent after the University of … Read MoreAhmadu Bello University (1962- )
