Bishop John Kwamena Essel, Pro-Chancellor and founder of Knustford University, has emphasized the need for African integration and collaboration to drive economic growth, create jobs, and promote innovation on the continent.
Addressing the media at their 15th congregation and matriculation program held in the Greater Accra Region on 29th November 2025 at East Legon at the school premises, Bishop Essel stressed that Africa must speak with one voice and create a common market of over 1.4 billion people.
He noted that the current global competition requires African countries to work together to achieve economic success, citing the example of Ghanaian students who are accepted into Nigerian universities and integrated into their system.
”Africa needs to actualize what we’ve been talking about all this time, the African integration to become one nation,” Bishop Essel said. “Africa needs to speak with one voice.
Africa needs one common market, a market of over 1.4 billion people. If this market is available, our children are short of work now.”
Bishop Essel called for increased collaboration among African universities, citing the need for joint degree programs and the recognition of certificates across borders. He highlighted the importance of innovation and sustainability, urging Africans to consume their own innovations and protect the environment for future generations.
Story by Isaac Ofosu Appiah
The Pro-Chancellor and founder also emphasized the need for students to pursue integrated programs, combining business with other related fields to gain a broad perspective of solutions to problems.
He noted that Africa faces many challenges, but these challenges offer opportunities for innovation and growth.
Bishop Essel’s call for African integration and collaboration is timely, given the continent’s growing population and the need for economic development.
With the right approach, Africa can become a major player on the global stage, driving innovation and prosperity for its people.
As Bishop Essel noted, “Problems are opportunities for us to make it. Africa has a lot of problems, but those problems themselves are opportunities for us and make us need to innovate.
Innovation is everything, and if we don’t learn to consume our own innovation, then others will create innovation for us and will continue to be, you know, just participants of that.