Open Educational Resources (OER) hold transformative potential for improving access to quality education, particularly in Africa's Initial Teacher Education (ITE) institutions. However, successful integration of OER requires strategies that are contextually relevant and inclusive. This paper explores a bottom-up policy strategy for introducing OER in African ITE institutions, emphasizing grassroots involvement, localized content creation, and capacity building. Unlike top-down approaches that risk alienating key stakeholders, a bottom-up strategy prioritizes the participation of educators, students, and local communities. It leverages their insights to design policies that reflect the specific needs, languages, and cultural contexts of African institutions. This approach fosters ownership, enhances the relevance of resources, and encourages sustainable OER adoption. The strategy emphasizes the importance of creating collaborative networks among educators, institutions, and policymakers. It also highlights the role of professional development and digital literacy programs in equipping teachers with the skills to create, adapt, and use OER effectively. A case study from five African ITE institutions participating in a collaborative project demonstrate how participatory policymaking can overcome barriers such as limited infrastructure, resistance to change, and policy gaps. This paper concludes that a bottom-up strategy for OER introduction not only democratizes access to knowledge but also aligns with Africa’s diverse educational landscapes, paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive teacher education system.

Keywords: Bottom-up strategy, Open Educational Resources (OER), Policy.