Africa Commons

Dr. Buhle Mbambo-Thata is one of the most distinguished librarians in Africa. She’s currently University Librarian at the University of Lesotho, having previously served as Executive Director, Library Services, University of South Africa (UNISA), and as University Librarian at the University of Zimbabwe where, against a backdrop of a collapsing economy, she managed to build a state-of-the-art digital library.

Dr. Mbambo-Thata currently chairs the board of the Council for Library and Information Resources (CLIR). She’s also served for many years with a wide range of organizations, including the African Library and Information Association and Institutions (AfLIA), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the Board of Directors of the National Library of South Africa, the Library Network of Association of Commonwealth Libraries, E-Knowledge for Women in Southern Africa (EKOWISA), and others.

Dr. Elisha Chiware has served as Library Director at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa for the last twelve years. Prior to that, he served as Lecturer at the University of Namibia, University Librarian at the Chinhoyi University of Technology, Senior Systems Librarian at Africa University, and has held roles at the Universities of Zimbabwe and Botswana. He has also served on the boards of the International Association of University Libraries (IATUL) as Secretary, the South African Library and Information Consortium (SANLIC), the Committee of Higher Education Libraries South Africa (CHELSA), and has chaired the Research Data Management and Open Science research group for the Western Cape Tier II Data Intensive project in Astronomy and Bioinformatics. Dr. Chiware completed a master's degree in Library Science (Indiana University, Bloomington, USA) and a PhD in Information Science (University of Pretoria).

Dr. Perpetua S. Dadzie obtained her PhD in Information Science from the University of South Africa and is an Associate Professor of Information Science at the University of Ghana. Since 2006, Dr. Dadzie has also been teaching at the University in the areas of Information Sources, Marketing of Information Services, and Public Relations. She serves on several boards and committees at the University of Ghana including the Academic Board, Graduate Studies Board, and Joint Examination Board. She has participated extensively in many conferences, both local and international, and has also published widely in reputable journals. Her areas of research interest include digital libraries, information literacy, information ethics and libraries, and the UN 2030 Agenda.

Dr. Dadzie was the University Librarian of the University of Ghana Library System from 2016 to 2021. She also served two terms as President of the Ghana Library Association from 2012 to 2016. She was also a member of the IFLA Africa section Committee from 2015 to 2017.

Dr. Stephen Akintunde is Professor of Information and Library Studies at the University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. His immediate past positions were as University Librarian, University of Jos, and Chairman of Nigerian University Libraries Consortium. Dr. Akintunde is a member of the Steering Committee, Supporting Research Community of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and is on the Editorial Advisory and Review Boards for Information and Learning Science and Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication. He is a recipient of Outstanding Reviewer in the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence, held leadership positions in the Nigerian Library Association, and is a member of American Library Association, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, and International Sociological Association.

Dr. Lwoga is a Professor and the Deputy Rector (Academic, Research, and Consultancy) at the College of Business Education in Tanzania. Previously, she was an Associate Professor and the Library Director at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania. She has published more than 100 works in leading international journals, proceedings, and books and has been active in professional organizations, including serving as the Sub-Saharan Africa User Representative for the Research4Life Executive Council and Chairperson for the Association of Information Science and Technology - Africa Chapter. She has consulted for academic institutions, national governments, and international organizations such as the United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries, the University of Minnesota, ITOCA, EAHRC, the University of Eastern Finland, Sida, Spider, DFID, and the University of Oslo.

Ms. Mawire is a Senior Consultant and Director at Integra Professional Services. She has over thirteen years’ experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of knowledge management, digital access, and digital inclusion in low-resourced communities. She’s led the implementation of multicountry projects across Sub-Saharan Africa and has worked with diverse global partners from community-based organizations, research institutions, and governments, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wikipedia Foundation.