Maximus Monaheng Sefotho appointed chief editor of African Journal of Neurodiversity
- Professor Sefotho appointed Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Neurodiversity to advance local research and policy
- African Association of Neurodiversity fosters collaboration among scholars for context-sensitive neurodiversity discussions
- Emerging initiatives signal growing institutional focus on neurodiversity scholarship in African higher education
Professor Maximus Monaheng Sefotho has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Neurodiversity (AJN), a scholarly publication created to advance research, debate, and policy engagement on neurodiversity within African contexts.
The journal operates under the African Association of Neurodiversity (AAN), an academic body initiated by Professor Sefotho to connect researchers, practitioners, and policy-oriented scholars working on neurodiversity across the continent.
Source: Original
The AJN is positioned to address what academics have described as a longstanding gap in Africa-centred neurodiversity research, where much of the existing literature has been shaped largely by non-African perspectives.
Scholars welcome African-centred research platform
Commenting on the development, Dr Lindiwe Mokoena, an educational researcher at the University of the Free State, said the emergence of the journal signalled an important shift in academic focus.
“There is a growing recognition that neurodiversity research needs platforms grounded in African realities rather than being framed solely through external perspectives,” she said. “This journal can support more context-sensitive research and informed policy discussions.”
Academic leadership in neurodiversity research
Professor Sefotho is based in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Johannesburg, where he also co-established the Centre for Neurodiversity. The centre focuses on research, teaching, and academic engagement around neurodiversity in education and broader society.
Professor Thabo Ndlovu of Rhodes University described the centre as part of a wider shift within higher education institutions. “It reflects a broader institutional trend to integrate neurodiversity into mainstream educational research and training, rather than treating it as a peripheral concern,” he said.
Continental collaboration through new association
The formation of the African Association of Neurodiversity has also drawn attention from scholars across the continent. Dr Amina Yusuf, a disability studies scholar at the University of Lagos, said structured collaboration in this area had previously been limited.
“An association dedicated specifically to neurodiversity provides a structured space for African scholars to share data, develop theory, and engage with policy debates that are often shaped outside the continent,” she noted.
Growing institutional focus on neurodiversity
Professor Sefotho’s appointment as chief editor places him at the centre of these emerging initiatives, combining editorial leadership with his broader academic work in inclusive education and disability studies.
Observers say the establishment of the journal, association, and university-based research centre reflects a growing institutionalisation of neurodiversity scholarship within African higher education. While their long-term impact is yet to be fully assessed, academics agree that the initiatives mark a significant step in strengthening African-led research, peer review, and interdisciplinary dialogue on neurodiversity.
Source: Legit.ng
