Welcome to AfricArXiv
This initiative showcases UbuntuNet's commitment to fostering knowledge sharing, collaboration, and accessibility within the African research community. With AfricArxiv, researchers across the continent have a dedicated platform to disseminate their findings, making them accessible to a global audience. By facilitating open access to scholarly work, UbuntuNet Alliance plays a pivotal role in advancing the principles of open science, enhancing research visibility, and driving innovation across Africa.
Communities in DSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
- The general repository is open for individual submissions by researchers, librarians and research administrators.
- Showcase of project activities, presentations, and scholarly contributions curated by the AfricArXiv initiative.
- A Rapid Grant Fund to address research questions and implement science engagement activities associated with COVID-19
- An initiative to support the development of a harmonised quality assurance and accreditation system at institutional, national, regional and Pan-African continental level.
Recent Submissions
Systemic Challenges in Science Education: A Case Study of Teacher Training Colleges in Ghana’s Eastern Region
(2025-05-23) Sogbadzi Isaac
This study investigates the persistent challenges hindering science education in four Colleges of Education in Ghana's Eastern Region, where future teachers are raised. By examining gaps in resources, pedagogy, and institutional support, the research identifies actionable solutions to improve science instruction at the foundational level.
A mixed-methods design gathered insights from 209 student-teachers and science tutors through questionnaires and interviews. Findings reveal a critical disconnect: over 75% of enrolled students lacked prior science training, yet were expected to master and later teach the subject. Compounding this issue, colleges operated with severely limited resources, including no functional laboratories, scarce teaching materials, and only four hours of weekly instructional time. Practical sessions, when they occurred, were often confined to standard classrooms, limiting hands-on learning. Despite tutors' efforts to improvise, systemic neglect left students under-prepared and disengaged.
The study underscores the urgency of targeted interventions. Key recommendations include revising admission policies to prioritize science-proficient candidates, expanding instructional time, and investing in laboratory infrastructure. Additionally, sustained professional development for tutors and partnerships with local industries could help address resource gaps.
Without these reforms, Ghana's vision for a scientifically literate workforce remains at risk. Strengthening teacher training in science is not just an educational priority but a catalyst for national development.
Caractérisation, taxonomie scientifique et étapes de recherche en amélioration génétique des variétés cultivées cas de l’arachide, mangue, laitue et concombre.
(Hal science, 2025) Dr MATOKO Xavier François; MISSIE Sameotone; NGALIFOUROU Frise Rodney Jonathan
Cette recherche sur la caractérisation des races animales locales permet de mieux les
classifier en se fondant, selon la taxonomie scientifique. Elle définit et explique en outre, les
outils de génie génétique indispensables au processus d’amélioration de ces races. Le
document aborde également les différentes branches de la génétique, exposant ainsi les
principes fondamentaux de cette discipline et les étapes de recherche d’amélioration
génétique, menant à la création de races améliorées. Bien qu’il s’agisse d’un travail
d’initiation à la recherche, il met en exergue les éléments essentiels de cette valorisation
génétique des variétés végétales et races animales. Cette étude s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une
incitation des étudiants à la recherche et à la rédaction scientifique des impétrants de 1ère
année de licence en Production végétale et Santé animale de l’Institut Agronomique
OLLANDET
Caractérisation, taxonomie scientifique et étapes de recherche en amélioration génétique de deux races animales locales, cas de race bovine N’dama (Bos taurus) et de la race locale de porc (Sus scrofa domesticus)
(2025) Dr MATOKO Xavier François; Missie Saméotone; NGALIFOUROU Frise Rodney Jonathan
Cette recherche sur la caractérisation des races animales locales permet de mieux les
classifier en se fondant, selon la taxonomie scientifique. Elle définit et explique en outre, les
outils de génie génétique indispensables au processus d’amélioration de ces races. Le
document aborde également les différentes branches de la génétique, exposant ainsi les
principes fondamentaux de cette discipline et les étapes de recherche d’amélioration
génétique, menant à la création de races améliorées. Bien qu’il s’agisse d’un travail
d’initiation à la recherche, il met en exergue les éléments essentiels de cette valorisation
génétique de ces races locales. Cette étude s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une incitation des
étudiants à la recherche et à la rédaction scientifique.
Relation antagoniste plante insecte
(2025) Dr MATOKO Xavier François; MOKONDA Benny Moïse; NGALIFOUROU Frise Rodney Jonathan
Les relations antagonistes insectes–plantes sont celles ou les insectes bénéficient au détriment des plantes. L’herbivorie est la plus fréquente : défoliation, minage, forage, succion de sève, consommation des racines, fruits et graines. Les insectes peuvent aussi transmettre des maladies (vecteurs de pathogènes), induire la formation de galles (détournement de ressources) ou causer des dommages lors de la ponte. Ces interactions ont des impacts écologiques et économiques majeurs, influençant la structure des écosystèmes et les rendements agricoles. Comprendre ces relations est essentiel pour la gestion des ravageurs et la conservation de la biodiversité.
African Data Ethics: A Discursive Framework for Black Decolonial Data Science
(ArXiv, 2025) Teanna Barrett; Chinasa T. Okolo; B. Biira; Eman Sherif; Amy X. Zhang; Leilani Battle
The shift towards pluralism in global data ethics acknowledges the importance of including perspectives from the Global Majority to develop responsible data science practices that mitigate systemic harms in the current data science ecosystem. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) practitioners, in particular, are disseminating progressive data ethics principles and best practices for identifying and navigating anti-blackness and data colonialism. To center SSA voices in the global data ethics discourse, we present a framework for African data ethics informed by the thematic analysis of an interdisciplinary corpus of 50 documents. Our framework features six major principles: 1) Challenge Power Asymmetries, 2) Assert Data Self-Determination, 3) Invest in Local Data Institutions & Infrastructures, 4) Utilize Communalist Practices, 5) Center Communities on the Margins, and 6) Uphold Common Good. We compare our framework to seven particularist data ethics frameworks to find similar conceptual coverage but diverging interpretations of shared values. Finally, we discuss how African data ethics demonstrates the operational value of data ethics frameworks. Our framework highlights Sub-Saharan Africa as a pivotal site of responsible data science by promoting the practice of communalism, self-determination, and cultural preservation.