Academic Leadership in Africa

Abstract

The importance of quality academic leadership in tertiary education cannot be overemphasized. This is because of the recognition that quality and progressive academic leadership is one of the hallmarks of a world-class university1 (Salmi 2009). And yet the subject of academic leadership in Africa is largely underex-plored. One should concede that there is a burgeoning literature on the dimensions and forms of leadership in both developed and developing countries.2 There is, however, a lacuna on academic leadership particularly in Africa even though the literature on the subject has begun to emerge, albeit slowly (Cipriano 2011; Bolman and Gallos 2011; Paul 2011).3 The reason is that most academics consider academic leadership positions as an afterthought given that taking up administrative positions is seen as changing careers (Moore and Sagaria 1982; Moore 1983). Others, however, see the work of the university as the work of intellect, thus believing that academics and administrators share the same work and career (Martin 1988). This is embodied by the notion of the “first among equals” concept and that administrators should come from the ranks of academics (Leon and Jackson 2009).