For the past two decades, key policy makers, globally and around the continent have played down higher education in Africa despite the general acknowledgment of the heightened role of knowledge in contemporary social and economic development. This was based on the argument that the rate of return on basic education was better on grounds both of equity and developmental efficiency. The Africa higher education community, led by the Association of African Universities, has consistently rejected this position, insisting instead that the knowledge generation system should be seen in the holistic sense. The true issue for policy is the appropriate balance among the various elements and levels of the education system, a balance that has to take account of the specific conditions of each country or society and its policy priorities. The indispensable role of higher education in Africa's development, not least through its contribution to the effective implementation of the drive for quality education for all, is now generally accepted. It is against this background that the Regional Scientific Committee for Africa devoted its seminar in Accra, Ghana to the theme "The Contribution of Higher Education to National Educational Systems." The Accra seminar explored the role of higher education in the context of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG's), and the Education for All (EFA) targets. Exploring the linkages between higher education and other levels of national education, the seminar examined in particular, the contribution of higher education to teacher training, non-formal education, and technical and vocational training, and touched on a number of cross-cutting issues of educational policy formulation and national development. This selection of presentations made at the Accra seminar constitutes a useful statement on the current and potential contribution of the higher education system to African development.