Africa is dotted by more than 150 known volcanoes, some of which are dormant while many are active. Several others are extinct, eroded, and in remote areas. Some may even be in yet unknown volcanic fields or buried below younger formations. The large majority of these volcanoes have been scarcely studied as regards their eruptive history, volcano monitoring for hazard assessment, and volcanic resources evaluation (especially geothermal) for sustainable development. The poor representation of African volcanism in the academic literature is due to several reasons, among which are (1) the rarity of volcanologists and volcanological programs in university curricula in Africa; (2) the lack of local financial support for volcanological research; (3) the absence of government institutions, volcano observatories and research centers with a clear mandate to monitor volcanoes for hazards assessment; and (4) the lack of strong international linkages and networks for research collaborations.

One of the most important pillars in attempting to meet this challenge is to focus on volcanology and geoscience education in African universities. However, in many African countries with active volcanoes, some of the universities do not have volcanology, and not even Geology in their curricula. Even where Geology or Earth Sciences programs do exist, most of those responsible for teaching and supervising volcanology programs are not trained volcanologists, which severely curtails the younger generation from having the appropriate mentors under whose supervision they could do detailed volcanological studies. Also, while it could be helpful then to have co-direction of a MSc or Ph.D. thesis from another university or other country (for students who study at universities where there are no volcanologists), many universities in Africa do not accept co-supervisors for MSc and PhD work.

Another important limitation for volcano studies in African is that the volcano monitoring systems are generally poorly developed, although this is necessary to better understand the potential hazards of future eruptions and contribute to risk mitigation (together with a range of other disciplines). Even if some countries do have a volcano observatory, scientific management and information dissemination are often inefficient and may suffer from political interference. The collaborative framework between researchers in observatories and in universities is not always well established, and the results of investigations are sometimes hidden from the public and even from decision-makers.

Moreover, postgraduates and early-career researchers can rarely access existing data and infrastructures necessary for detailed analysis and the production of high-quality papers. This lack of research support hinders successful development of basic sciences. It also affects many African scientists based on the continent who do volcanology studies in that they face challenges in disseminating their work at local or international scientific meetings where they can discuss their findings with peers and contribute equally to the scientific conversation. In turn, African scientists become less visible (as regards presentations at international conferences and publication in international journals), resulting in a lack of recognition from the global scientific community.

The establishment of a Network for African Volcanologists (NAV) will help to foster a community of practice that can work together to address some of the above challenges and overcome the implied limitations. Our NAV would serve as a platform for researchers on the African continent and in the diaspora to get to know each other, easily interact to share experiences, and carry out constructive projects to contribute to international collaborations in the Earth and Space Sciences. The NAV will create a forum for many geoscientists in developing countries, motivate them and help them get involved in high-impact research so as to create new knowledge applicable to African volcanoes and worldwide. This can be done through equipment and resource sharing, efficient mobilization, and by creating synergies between international principal investigators and local counterparts, ensuring research coordination and output within the project timelines. The NAV will also be a “pool of expertise” to which the younger generations can easily look for mentors, supervisors, and external examiners who can help fill any gaps and guarantee high-quality research outputs. The NAV also seeks to promote volcanological studies within universities across the continent, enhance genuine international collaboration and training in volcanology in a sustainable and beneficial manner, and facilitate access to data and methods for African postgraduates and early-career researchers. On the belief that a strong representation of African volcanism requires well-trained personnel, the IYBSSD2022 should be an excellent opportunity for African volcanologists to get started and proceed with the gathering of researchers and build up strategies to develop basic and advanced volcanological sciences on the continent.

Our priority now is to formalize our network and give it international recognition. To this end, we seek to organize and hold a meeting where we can discuss the difficulties faced by our researchers and students across the continent, as this will help to illustrate the priorities and future for furthering Africa's volcanism.