At Ceped - UMR 196, Grégory Giraud analyzed the multilateral financing of higher education in West and Central Africa.
The Essentials: At Ceped - UMR 196, Grégory Giraud analyzed the multilateral financing of higher education in West and Central Africa.
Grégory Giraud, researcher at Ceped - UMR 196 (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement).
Thesis defended in 2025 at the doctoral school Doctoral School of Social Sciences (Paris; 2019-....).
Referenced in the ABES/STAR network, this thesis meets the rigor standards of French higher education.
Context and Research Question
Higher education in West and Central Africa faces a complex set of structural challenges. Underfunding of academic infrastructure and research teams has produced a fragile ecosystem struggling to meet the growing needs of a rapidly expanding student population. At the same time, the mismatch between the training offered and labor market requirements translates into high unemployment rates among graduates. This phenomenon is compounded by a shortage of qualified personnel and a lack of coordination among the various stakeholders, including academic institutions, funders and governments.
Faced with these challenges, the African Centers of Excellence (ACE) program was launched in 2014 by the World Bank and the French Development Agency. The program aims to improve the quality of research and teaching in eleven countries in the region: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. Analyzing the mechanisms of ownership and implementation of this program by the various stakeholders offers an opportunity to explore solutions for strengthening higher education in West and Central Africa.
Methodology
The study adopted in this thesis relies on a socio-anthropological approach aimed at understanding the dynamics of interaction among the actors involved in the ACE program. Qualitative methods, such as semi-structured interviews and field observations, were used to gather data from a representative sample of stakeholders, including institutional officials, program beneficiaries and representatives of funding agencies.
Data analysis focused on stakeholders' perceptions regarding the successes and challenges encountered in implementing the program. The results were triangulated with available quantitative data on performance indicators of the centers of excellence, allowing for a more integrated assessment of the program's impact on the higher education landscape in the region.
Key Findings
Preliminary findings indicate that the ACE program has enabled significant progress in certain centers of excellence, particularly in strengthening teaching capacity and improving research infrastructure. Targeted initiatives have led to an increase in the number of scientific publications, as well as greater international visibility for the centers involved. However, structural obstacles persist, notably a shortage of qualified staff, continued underfunding and, at times, ineffective governance.
Challenges identified in the program's implementation include weak coordination between partner institutions and funders, as well as disparities in the appropriation of available resources. Some centers succeeded in adapting to the program's requirements, while others struggled to mobilize the resources needed to meet set objectives. These findings underscore the need for a systemic approach and stronger collaboration among all stakeholders involved to maximize the impact of multilateral financing.
Discussion and Outlook
The analysis of the ACE program's results highlights the importance of effective governance and quality management in higher education. The diversity of national and institutional contexts offers avenues for reflection on adapting financing mechanisms and program implementation. The recommendations arising from this research suggest that policy decisions should be grounded in a thorough understanding of local dynamics and the specific needs of research institutions.
The results of this thesis open up avenues for future research on multilateral financing, notably by exploring collaboration models that foster local ownership of resources and knowledge. Particular attention should be paid to assessing the long-term impacts of financing initiatives on higher education and research in West and Central Africa, as well as to identifying new strategies for strengthening the sustainability of the centers of excellence.
These reflections underscore the need for renewed commitment from funders and governments in supporting higher education, to ensure a sustainable future for research and education in this rapidly changing region.
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Sources and Access
Grégory Giraud. Financement multilatéral de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche en Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale : le cas d'étude du programme des centres d'excellence africains soutenus par la Banque mondiale et l'Agence Française de Développement : une perspective socio-anthropologique dans les coulisses des Centres d’Excellence soutenus par la Banque mondiale et l’Agence française de développement dans onze pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest et Centrale. Sociologie. Université Paris Cité, 2025. Français. ⟨NNT : 2025UNIP7067⟩. ⟨tel-05527344⟩