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.
In August of 1925, Ladipo Solanke, a Nigerian law student, and Herbert Bankole-Bright, a Sierra Leonean doctor, founded the West African Students’ Union (WASU) in the Camden Town section of London, England. WASU eventually become a powerful influence in both British and West African politics … Read MoreWest African Students’ Union (WASU)
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- )
In April 1966, The First World Festival of Negro Arts, which is now known as FESMAN, launched its debut as the first modern cultural event celebrating global Black culture. The Festival took place in Dakar, Senegal and was initiated by Senegalese president Léopold Sédar Senghor … Read MoreFirst World Festival of Negro Arts (1966- )
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 Virgin Islands (UVI) is a public university located on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix, the United States Virgin Islands. It was established in 1962. In 1986 it officially became one of the 117 U.S. Historically Black Colleges and … Read MoreUniversity of the Virgin Islands (1962- )
