Justice Adjei calls for equitable Canada-Africa research partnerships beyond aid

By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA

Accra, Sept. 15, GNA – Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice of the Supreme Court and the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights, has called for equitable research partnerships between Canada and Africa beyond traditional aid.

He said international research collaborations should give African institutions effective authority over research questions, funding, data, authorship and intellectual property, rather than treating them as recipients of assistance.

Justice Sir Adjei made the call in a keynote address at the Third Conference on Economic Growth in Atlantic Canada, organised by the City Institute of Higher Learning in Moncton, New Brunswick.

The conference, held from September 10 to 11, 2026, focused on economic growth and partnerships, with Justice Adjei urging stakeholders to treat research relationships as enforceable partnerships rather than arrangements based solely on goodwill.

He said the distinction between a beneficiary and a partner was important because a beneficiary had limited ability to demand continued support, consultation or benefits from a donor.

“A contract is different in kind. It gives both parties a claim, a forum, and a remedy,” Justice Sir Adjei said.

He argued that proper legal instruments could make partnerships survive changes in governments, ministries, and policies.

He said Canada had worked with African countries for more than 70 years, but the relations needed stronger instruments to ensure that research benefits and responsibilities were equitably distributed.

Justice Sir Adjei said African institutions were often engaged as sub-grantees, a position that could determine who controlled research funds, set research questions and ultimately received intellectual recognition.

He cited a systematic review of infectious disease research conducted in Africa between 1980 and 2016, which found that although more than 90 per cent of publications included at least one Africa-based author, only 49.8 per cent had an African first author.

He said the issue of authorship went beyond recognition because it affected academic promotion, eligibility for research grants, and the development of research leadership on the continent.

On data, Justice Sir Adjei said information generated from African populations frequently remained on servers outside African jurisdictions and could be reused under foreign laws without adequate consideration of local legal requirements.

He urged Canadian institutions undertaking research in Africa to take into account African data protection laws and ensure that agreements clearly addressed data custody, transfer, reuse and repatriation.

Justice Sir Adjei also raised concerns about intellectual property and genetic resources, citing the Nagoya Protocol and the need for fair and equitable benefit-sharing arrangements where African biological and genetic resources were used for research.

He said capacity building should also leave lasting benefits within African institutions, including trained researchers, functioning laboratories, locally controlled data repositories and publication records that supported the careers of young academics.

Justice Sir Adjei proposed equitable partnership agreements covering governing law, direct access to research funds, authorship, data custody, intellectual property, publication rights and the specific capacities to remain in African institutions after projects ended.

He called on Canadian governments, universities and research funders to provide direct-award opportunities for African institutions, fund their indirect costs fairly and strengthen partnerships between institutions rather than relying mainly on individual researchers.

He also urged African governments to accelerate the ratification and implementation of relevant continental instruments, including the African Continental Free Trade Area intellectual property protocol, and strengthen harmonised legal frameworks to reduce the cost of research collaboration.

Justice Sir Adjei said Atlantic Canada could benefit from stronger partnerships with African institutions in areas including ocean and coastal science, agriculture, health systems, energy transition and artificial intelligence governance, describing equitable partnerships as a competitive strategy rather than a concession.

GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku
[email protected]