NAIROBI, 14th October 2026 – The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) has launched a Research Community of Learning (CoL), a continental platform to connect African school leadership researchers with the policymakers and practitioners who put evidence to use. The community was introduced at its inaugural webinar on 6 October 2026, which brought together researchers, school leaders, policymakers, practitioners and education partners. Its WhatsApp platform already has more than 500 members from diverse African countries, institutions and professional backgrounds.
The webinar explored how research, African philosophies and indigenous knowledge systems can shape school leadership policy and practice that reflects the realities of African education systems. Opening the session, Head of Research at ACSL, Dr Edmund Aalangdong said the aim is evidence that is used, not just published.
“We do not want to generate research that remains on the shelves. We want African-led evidence that informs policy decisions, strengthens professional development, improves school leadership practices, advances gender equality and inclusion,” he said.
He added that the Community of Learning is meant to be more than a network or a series of webinars: a sustained, African-led platform where researchers, policymakers, practitioners and partners exchange knowledge, collaborate and learn from one another.
ACSL Research Officer, Stephen Acquah explained that the community grew out of the need to bring African school leadership researchers together to address identified knowledge gaps.
“The Community of Learning is intended to provide a continental space for researchers, practitioners and policymakers to connect, share resources, exchange ideas and develop professional relationships. It will also create opportunities for mentorship, peer feedback, research methods support and research clinics to strengthen the quality of research produced by African scholars,” Acquah said.
That emphasis on African-produced scholarship carried into the session’s substantive discussion, which examined how African philosophies, values and lived experiences can inform leadership approaches grounded in local contexts. Presenting on the topic; Afrocentric philosophies and school leadership research, Prof Frederick Ebot of the University of Buea (Cameroon) urged researchers to draw on African theories.
“If you are here and you are a professor supporting students with their research, we should be able to use our own theories. If we start using our own philosophies, our own theories, I think it will take us a long way. Only we can bring it in front of our students. If we don’t encourage them, they will continue using European philosophies,” he said.
The inaugural webinar is the start of ongoing engagement, with the community’s work extending beyond individual events. In her closing remarks, Director of Research and Programme Delivery at ESSA, Dr Leila Abdullahi said the growing membership has the potential to strengthen African-led research.
“Our collective expertise, experience, and network have tremendous potential to strengthen African-led research and school leadership,” she said.
She pointed to members’ willingness to learn, share knowledge and engage in peer-to-peer exchange as the foundation for the community’s development. Participants were encouraged to share useful resources, offer mentorship, propose learning activities and raise policy and practice questions for research discussions.
You can explore the webinar recording at https://youtu.be/vCAxQTbPsaw.
To join the Community of Learning WhatsApp group, use this link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KxO4TXZQsO5E9aXBcdE5LB