Justice Dominic Adjei Critiques 'Extractive' Canada-Africa Research Partnerships, Calls for Structural Equity

Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, a prominent judge serving on both Ghana’s Supreme Court and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, has issued a sharp critique of existing research partnerships between Canada and Africa. Speaking as the keynote presenter at the Third Conference on Economic Growth in Atlantic Canada, he characterized many current academic arrangements as "extractive" rather than truly collaborative. He argued that these structural inequalities often relegate African researchers to the status of sub-grantees, undermining the potential for genuine scientific progress and mutual respect between the two regions.

During his address, Justice Adjei highlighted several systemic barriers that historically disadvantage African institutions. Key among these are imbalanced funding agreements where Canadian entities retain primary financial control, as well as skewed authorship patterns and intellectual property rights that favor Western partners. He noted that the current model frequently treats African institutions merely as beneficiaries of aid or sources of data, rather than as equal intellectual contributors. This approach, he suggested, fails to address the fundamental need for African researchers to maintain authority over their own data management and research processes.

To rectify these imbalances, the Justice called for a paradigm shift toward contract-based partnerships that clearly define equitable benefits and responsibilities for all parties involved. He emphasized the necessity of providing direct funding to African institutions to empower them as primary grant holders rather than secondary participants. Furthermore, he urged for reforms that prioritize long-term capacity building and robust data protection protocols. By establishing fair partnership policies, he believes both regions can achieve a more sustainable exchange of knowledge that respects the sovereignty of African intellectual output.

The conference also served as a significant personal milestone for Justice Adjei, as he was awarded a Professorship at the City Institute of Higher Learning in recognition of his extensive legal and academic contributions. His call for reform aligns with a growing global movement to dismantle "parachute science"—a practice where Western researchers collect data in developing nations without providing local credit or infrastructure. His advocacy signals a clear demand from African leaders for a new era of international cooperation defined by structural equity and mutual benefit.