Universities In sub-Saharan Africa Research Articles

Threading through the needle of digital education in Sub-Saharan Africa: understanding the concerns of university lecturers

ABSTRACT Adopting the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) in education has generated mixed worries, particularly concerning the perceived challenges faced by students, lecturers, and institutions. In this article, we report the findings of a study investigating the lecturers’ concerns about adopting the 4IR in education and what institutions may undertake if it is to be successful. The study, designed as a qualitative descriptive survey, was framed from Fuller’s [(1969). Concerns of teachers: A developmental conceptualization. American Educational Research Journal, 6(2), 207–226. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312006002207] concerns-based adoption model to glean insights from 15 lecturers from universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Online questionnaires generated data that were thematically analysed. Findings show that lecturers were worried about the inadequacy of the digital infrastructures, increased social inequalities among students, reduced lecturer autonomy, and the threat to their jobs. This study implores governments of developing universities to initiate crowdfunding to set up digital infrastructures that are democratically used to mitigate the imminent exclusion of marginalized students from university education. Moreover, lecturers need to be re-skilled to remain relevant. The study provides emerging universities with policy and practice insights on capacity building in lecturers and a funding alternative for institutional support during technology adoption, drawing from the lecturers’ perspectives whose opinions are sometimes not sought during educational reforms.

User satisfaction with information and communication technologies in nursing and midwifery schools in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

Background and objective: Information and communication technologies are often used in universities in sub-Saharan Africa to train nurses and midwives. However, user satisfaction with information and communication technologies in nursing and midwifery schools in sub-Saharan Africa has not been well documented. The objective of this study is to synthesize user satisfaction with information and communication technologies in nursing and midwifery schools in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods: A systematic review was conducted. Three electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and ERIC) were consulted. Two reviewers independently conducted the selection of eligible publications based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted and quality assessed by four team members. Qualitative, quantitative, or mixed studies conducted in sub-Saharan African countries published from 2018 to 2021 were included.Results: The majority of students used smart mobile phones. Access to the internet connection was via their mobile phone or tablet. In terms of their ability to use mobile devices, the majority of students were good users. The rest were divided between experts in mobile use and limited users. The majority of teachers were open to the use of word processing, PowerPoint presentations, and blended learning. Other reasons for satisfaction include the use of information and communication technologies during clinical placements, online assessments, the creation of discussion forums, and live discussions with colleagues.Conclusions: Students are satisfied with the use of information and communication technologies. The administration must equip itself with the means to use them in teaching by motivating and supporting teachers. To do this, it must take into account the results of regular assessments to provide a better learning environment. Using information and communication technologies could become a quality criterion for a high-performance university.

Barriers and opportunities for gender-based violence prevention & response at universities in Sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Globally, one in three women experience physical and/or sexual violence and sub-Saharan Africa displays increased rates of gender-based violence (GBV) compared to other regions. There is limited information on the factors sustaining GBV among university students in sub-Saharan Africa as well as barriers and opportunities towards its effective prevention and management. This study explores and describes the GBV prevention needs at six universities in five sub-Saharan African countries (Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe) using a qualitative approach. In-depth interviews (n = 27) were conducted with key stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, community members). Main findings showed that GBV is influenced by location and types of relationship with the perpetrator, and some of the barriers to implementing GBV prevention programmes are patriarchal norms, lack of awareness, and poor institutional infrastructure. Identified areas for opportunity are raising awareness, early warning signs for prevention, proactive system-wide response, justice for survivors, and fair punishment. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT Current prevention and response resources are not equitably available to individuals of all genders and sexual orientations at universities across sub-Saharan Africa. There is a need for promotion of institutional partnership, shared knowledge, and resources for addressing GBV among all university students within sub-Saharan Africa.

University Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring Best Practices.

Addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in educational settings across the globe, particularly in institutions of higher education, requires strong institutional framework and policy guidelines. Most research about university SGBV policies has focused on high-income countries with little or no recourse to universities in low- and middle-income countries. This policy analysis aims to analyze existing policies related to SGBV from select sub-Saharan African universities to provide guidance on best practices toward addressing SGBV at universities in Africa. Seven university policies and six national policies from six countries across sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe) were reviewed using a standardized data extraction form. The policy analysis identified eight key elements of policies related to SGBV for sub-Saharan African universities, which were verified using a nominal group technique with five international experts in the field. Overall, policies varied significantly in accessibility, terminology, definitions, format, and inclusivity across the sites. Some of the policies were not readily accessible, and there was limited evidence provided in some of the policy documents. Policies for universities in sub-Saharan Africa should (a) be evidence based, (b) be readily available in multiple formats, (c) define key terms broadly with gendered signifiers, (d) be succinct and concise, (e) incorporate broad definitions for all university stakeholders, (f) identify who created the policy and when, (g) address prevention, and (h) address response. Evidence-based policies addressing SGBV prevention, response, and justice are sorely needed at universities across the globe.

Doctoral Contribution to Nursing Science in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Document Review.

Nursing science is at serious risk of extinction. The lack of funding for research, absence of healthcare policies underpinned by nursing science, and general lack of understanding of nursing metaparadigms all contribute to the stunted growth in nursing science. Doctoral research is a platform for the development and refinement of nursing science. The purpose of this qualitative retrospective document review was to describe the doctoral contribution to nursing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Electronic dissertations for doctoral degrees in nursing within a 5-year period from universities in SSA were included. The extracted data comprising the purpose of the studies, the models used in the studies, and the studies' contributions to nursing science were analyzed against a knowledge contribution framework. In total, 166 documents were included, mostly from South African universities, with a predominant focus on developing models, frameworks, and strategies within nursing practice. Only 17% of the studies applied grand nursing theories or models, with the rest of the studies applying theories from other disciplines. The contribution to nursing science from the doctoral studies was poor. The low uptake of nursing models in doctoral research in SSA may significantly contribute to the lack of refinement of nursing science within SSA. Structured approaches focused on integrating the nursing metaparadigms, theories, and models and fundamental underpins for doctoral education in Africa are essential to influencing the refinement of nursing science.

Leveraging Virtualization Technology in Teaching Cyber Security Courses in Sub-Saharan Africa

<p><span lang="EN-US">Teaching and learning can be effective and enjoyable if the course is well-packaged and presented. This was the experience of students and teachers participating in our hands-on Cyber Security course. Effective teaching of Cyber Security requires practical demonstration of attack patterns and their related countermeasures. This implies that outstanding and modern laboratories must be in place to teach and learn the necessary principles and practices effectively. Unfortunately, newly established universities in Sub-Saharan Africa need more funds for establishing and maintaining such laboratories. However, several researchers have shown that virtualization technology (VT) can enhance available but limited physical computing laboratories as an alternative to complex physical laboratories with huge procurement costs. This paper proposes an ad hoc and mobile laboratory for teaching practical principles in Cyber Security. The report aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of virtualization technology in teaching Cyber Security in newly established universities in Sub-Saharan Africa with zero to minimal computer laboratory infrastructure.</span></p>

Improved knowledge on substandard and falsified (SF) medical products through a dedicated course for pharmacy students at three universities in sub-Saharan Africa

BackgroundToo few pharmacists receive formal training on substandard and falsified (SF) medical products. Strengthening knowledge across pharmacists is considered a moral and ethical duty of academia, that is, to build...

COVID-19 pandemic and the narrative of the digital divide gap in universities in Sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT This theoretical paper endorses that Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a severe acute respiratory syndrome that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a world pandemic on the 8th of March 2020 has exposed a plethora of opportunities and inequalities in education. To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries of the world enforced some form of lockdown and restrictions, and that affected the culture of social institutions including the African university. The effects of lockdown and restrictions on human contact and movement resulted in the innovations in pedagogic and assessment practices that shifted from the traditional face-to-face approach to the digital online mode. While being guided by Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, the study examines the narratives of the digital divide gap in African university education. The study also borrows from Lloyd Morrisett, an American experimental psychologist who contributed to the digital divide gap theory. The study acknowledges that learners, teachers, and administrators from poor universities and communities in Su-Saharan Africa (SSA) encountered challenges such as internet accessibility, infrastructure, power supply, technical knowledge, and training, and cost of data. The study certifies that there are a plethora of inequalities related to the digital divide gap that was ignored and still needs to be mitigated. The study recommends the need to upgrade the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and related infrastructure to the reach of many including the vulnerable and marginalized.

Training and mentorship as a tool for building African researchers' capacity in knowledge translation.

As one of the main knowledge producers, researchers can play an important role in contributing to efforts that bridge the gap between knowledge, policy and practice. However, for researchers to play this role, they need knowledge translation (KT) capacities that many typically lack. Furthermore, research has confirmed that little is known on KT training approaches for LMICs researchers and their effectiveness. This paper seeks to contribute to filling this knowledge gap on KT training approaches for LMIC researchers by assessing the effectiveness of a training and mentorship intervention to build African researchers’ KT capacity. We conducted KT training and mentorship for 23 early and mid-career researchers from 20 universities in sub-Saharan Africa. This comprised a 5-day intense residential training workshop, followed by a 6-months mentorship. A pre- and post-training test was used to assess the immediate effect of the workshop. The intermediate effect of the training following a 6-month mentorship was assessed by the number of researchers who completed policy briefs during this period and those who participated in the webinar series conducted during this period. Overall, the aggregate average point change in the self-reported learning between the pre-training and the post-training survey was 1.9, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the training workshop. This was confirmed by a 33.7% increase in the aggregate average percentage of participants that responded correctly to questions assessing topics covered in the training between the pre-training and the post-training survey. During the mentorship period, 19 of the 23 researchers prepared and submitted complete drafts of their policy briefs within two months after the training. Fewer (4) researchers revised and submitted final policy briefs. More than half of the trained researchers participated in the webinars conducted in the first three months of the mentorship, whereas less than half of the researchers participated in the webinars conducted in the last three months. KT training and mentorship can be an effective intervention for addressing researchers’ KT capacity gaps. For sustainability, KT training and mentorship need to be integrated in graduate training programmes in universities so that future LMIC researchers leave training institutions with the KT capacities they need for influencing policy and programme decisions and actions.

Technology Appropriation in Higher Education: The Case of Communication Educators in Ghana

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 challenged universities in sub-Saharan Africa to reinvent themselves and rely more on digital technologies for curriculum delivery. Before the pandemic, technology use in curriculum delivery was ad-hoc and depended mainly on teachers' self-efficacy. This article investigates how teachers in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana appropriated new media technologies for teaching and research before the outbreak of COVID-19. This study explored the new media technologies used by teachers, their motivations for using them, how they used them, and the challenges they encountered in their appropriation of technologies for curriculum delivery. The study triangulated in-depth interviews and semi-structured questionnaires to gather data from university teachers who are members of the Communication Educators Association, Ghana (CEAG). Thematic and descriptive analyses were employed to analyze data collected through interviews and surveys. The study revealed that communication educators mostly used Google Scholar, YouTube, and Facebook. Their choices and usage of these new media were influenced by personal preference and the perceived usefulness of digital technologies to teaching and research. Communication educators face several challenges in using digital technologies; these include unstable internet connection, low digital literacy, and financial constraints, which impede their appropriation of new media technologies. The adoption and adaption of new media among communication educators is consistent with the Technology Appropriation Theory, and practicality rather than pedagogical imperatives drive their usages. The study concludes that teachers must carefully plan the deployment of new media in curriculum delivery; therefore, communication educators require institutional support and policy guidelines to appropriate and deploy new media technologies effectively.

Technology Appropriation in Higher Education: The Case of Communication Educators in Ghana

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 challenged universities in sub-Saharan Africa to reinvent themselves and rely more on digital technologies for curriculum delivery. Before the pandemic, technology use in curriculum delivery was ad-hoc and depended mainly on teachers' self-efficacy. This article investigates how teachers in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana appropriated new media technologies for teaching and research before the outbreak of COVID-19. This study explored the new media technologies used by teachers, their motivations for using them, how they used them, and the challenges they encountered in their appropriation of technologies for curriculum delivery. The study triangulated in-depth interviews and semi-structured questionnaires to gather data from university teachers who are members of the Communication Educators Association, Ghana (CEAG). Thematic and descriptive analyses were employed to analyze data collected through interviews and surveys. The study revealed that communication educators mostly used Google Scholar, YouTube, and Facebook. Their choices and usage of these new media were influenced by personal preference and the perceived usefulness of digital technologies to teaching and research. Communication educators face several challenges in using digital technologies; these include unstable internet connection, low digital literacy, and financial constraints, which impede their appropriation of new media technologies. The adoption and adaption of new media among communication educators is consistent with the Technology Appropriation Theory, and practicality rather than pedagogical imperatives drive their usages. The study concludes that teachers must carefully plan the deployment of new media in curriculum delivery; therefore, communication educators require institutional support and policy guidelines to appropriate and deploy new media technologies effectively.

Global and Local Research Excellence in Africa: New Perspectives on Performance Assessment and Funding

The concept ‘research excellence’ remains ill-defined in performance assessment and science funding frameworks. This article introduces a framework that distinguishes ‘global excellence’ and ‘local excellence’, which enable a better understanding of ‘research excellence’ in African science. Where global excellence is primarily determined by acknowledged visibility and partially measurable reputation within the (inter)national scholarly community, its local counterpart relates to utilisation of knowledge and know-how among non-scholarly users and communities. Our empirical study of global excellence, based on a citation impact analysis of ‘basic research’ publications during the past 15 years, with one or more African-based authors, shows a large degree of dependence on and cooperation with non-African international partners. More detailed analysis of research-active universities in the African Research Universities Alliance also highlights their large dependency on international resources and funding in their highly cited ‘globally excellent’ research. Our analysis of local excellence focusses on the research objectives of the centres of excellence at universities in sub-Saharan Africa, showing a mix of local and global components. The notion of local excellence is in need of appropriate definitions and further operationalisation. The distinction between global and local excellence, within science funding and research assessment frameworks, offers a more comprehensive view and better understanding of high-end research performance of universities in Africa. Developing quality criteria and performance indicators of local excellence may incentivise researchers to contribute to socio-economic development and innovation.

The question of access and spatial justice in universities in sub-Saharan Africa: A capabilities approach

Background: The discussions related to access in higher education collate enrolment with the provision of education. Yet, when considering what the university education should provide, some enrolments still restrict capabilities, freedom and rights to quality education. The article argues that the debates regarding access to higher education are incomplete without addressing this divide. Aim: The article aims to expose the injustices that exist in some university spaces in sub-Saharan Africa. Space is politically and ideologically produced, a situation that legitimises a need for the exposure of injustices in terms of access to quality and dignified physical and technological resources for education. The article posits that if the spatial injustices that are embedded in the universities are not exposed, the universities will fight endless battles towards providing adequate access for students and academics. Setting: The article reports on research conducted in three of the seven universities in sub-Saharan Africa that participated in a research project. Method: A multiple qualitative case study design was followed. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with academics and focus group interviews with students in the universities. Results: Quantity and quality of the physical and technological structures in these universities are dehumanising, unjust and unfair to students and staff who must compete economically with their counterparts in other spheres of society. Conclusion: The physical and technological structures in the universities demand a reconceptualisation of access. Presently, transformation, as it pertains to access and spatial justice, is minimal. A focussed developmental strategy is proposed for the universities in order to improve and provide relevant access to knowledge and skills for relevance and quality.

COVID-19 and Technology Enhanced Teaching in Higher Education in sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This article aims to share an experience on the process taken by the University of Dar es Salaam to adopt and deliver technology-enhanced teaching and learning during the COVID-19 crisis. The university started by forming a team which conducted an audit to identify existing ICT infrastructure, skills gaps amongst instructors, and information systems that could be quickly adopted to deliver various courses during the COVID-19 crisis. The Moodle system, Zoom video conferencing system, and Postgraduate Information Management System were identified and recommended. After the audit, 340 instructors were trained on identified systems and 369 new courses were developed. Although face-to-face classes resumed a few months after the training and preparations, postgraduate courses continued to be offered via the blended mode with the Zoom and Moodle systems being used. The experience gathered from this study contributes towards knowledge of ICT integration in teaching and learning and can be integrated into teaching during the COVID-19 crisis in resource-constrained universities in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

Strengthening research management and support services in sub-Saharan African universities and research institutions.

Background: International development partners and research councils are increasingly funding research management and support (RMS) capacity strengthening initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as part of a broader investment in strengthening national and regional research systems. However, the evidence-base to inform RMS capacity strengthening initiatives is limited at present. This research note presents a synthesis of 28 RMS capacity assessments completed in 25 universities/research institutions from across 15 SSA countries between 2014 and 2018. Methods: All 28 capacity assessments were completed following a standardised methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews conducted with research and research support staff at the respective institution as well as document reviews and observation of onsite facilities. Data were extracted from the 28 reports detailing the findings of each assessment according to a framework synthesis approach. Results: In total, 13 distinct capacity gap categories emerged from across the 28 RMS capacity assessment reports. Almost all the institutions assessed faced multiple gaps in RMS capacity within and across each of these 13 categories. The 13 categories were not independent of each other and were often closely inter-connected. Commonalities were also evident across multiple categories, the two most obvious of which were severe fiscal constraints and the often-complex bureaucracy of the institutional operating environment. Conclusions: The synthesis findings reveal multiple, commonly shared RMS capacity gaps in universities and research institutions across SSA. No single intervention type, or focus, would be sufficient to strengthen capacity across all 13 areas; rather, what is needed to facilitate a significant shift in RMS capacity within such SSA universities and research institutions is a combination of interventions, consisting of differing levels of cost and complexity, variously led (or supported) by both internal and external actors.

Strengthening research management and support services in sub-Saharan African universities and research institutions

Background: International development partners and research councils are increasingly funding research management and support (RMS) capacity strengthening initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as part of a broader investment in strengthening national and regional research systems. However, the evidence-base to inform RMS capacity strengthening initiatives is limited at present. This research note presents a synthesis of 28 RMS capacity assessments completed in 25 universities/research institutions from across 15 SSA countries between 2014 and 2018. Methods: All 28 capacity assessments were completed following a standardised methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews conducted with research and research support staff at the respective institution as well as document reviews and observation of onsite facilities. Data were extracted from the 28 reports detailing the findings of each assessment according to a framework synthesis approach. Results: In total, 13 distinct capacity gap categories emerged from across the 28 RMS capacity assessment reports. Almost all the institutions assessed faced multiple gaps in RMS capacity within and across each of these 13 categories. The 13 categories were not independent of each other and were often closely inter-connected. Commonalities were also evident across multiple categories, the two most obvious of which were severe fiscal constraints and the often-complex bureaucracy of the institutional operating environment. Conclusions: The synthesis findings reveal multiple, commonly shared RMS capacity gaps in universities and research institutions across SSA. No single intervention type, or focus, would be sufficient to strengthen capacity across all 13 areas; rather, what is needed to facilitate a significant shift in RMS capacity within such SSA universities and research institutions is a combination of interventions, consisting of differing levels of cost and complexity, variously led (or supported) by both internal and external actors.

ICT officials' opinion on deploying Open Source Learning Management System for teaching and learning in universities in a developing society

Information and Communication Technology specialists, working within universities play important roles in the deployment of educational technologies for teaching and learning. Given the centrality of these specialists and the woeful dearth of empirics on this subject-matter in Sub-Saharan Africa, this paper interrogates the perspectives of ICT specialists working within universities in Ghana, on the deployment of Moodle®/Sakai® Learning Management System (LMS) by universities in the country for teaching and learning and the challenges involved. Data collection entailed semi-structured interviews with twenty informants. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. It emerged that there has been impressive formulation of e-learning policy, construction of computer laboratories, Staff Resource Centre, Electronic Support Unit in the Balm Library, installation of Internet facility, Learning Management System, Enterprise Solution Software, Library Solution Software to promote ICT-mediated teaching and learning in the face of barriers. The paper adds knowledge to the extant literature in the field, impacts practice and policy along the pathway for ensuring sustainable deployment of LMS in universities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Strengthening research management and support services in sub-Saharan African universities and research institutions

Background: International development partners and research councils are increasingly funding research management and support (RMS) capacity strengthening initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as part of a broader investment in strengthening national and regional research systems. However, the evidence-base to inform RMS capacity strengthening initiatives is limited at present. This research note presents a synthesis of 28 RMS capacity assessments completed in 25 universities/research institutions from across 15 SSA countries between 2014 and 2018. Methods: All 28 capacity assessments were completed following a standardised methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews conducted with research and research support staff at the respective institution as well as document reviews and observation of onsite facilities. Data were extracted from the 28 reports detailing the findings of each assessment according to a framework synthesis approach. Results: In total, 13 distinct capacity gap categories emerged from across the 28 RMS capacity assessment reports. Almost all the institutions assessed faced significant gaps in RMS capacity within and across each of these 13 categories. The 13 categories were not independent of each other and were often closely inter-connected. Commonalities were also evident across multiple categories, the two most obvious of which were severe fiscal constraints and the often-complex bureaucracy of the institutional operating environment. Conclusions: The synthesis findings reveal multiple, commonly shared RMS capacity gaps in universities and research institutions across SSA. No single intervention type, or focus, would be sufficient to strengthen capacity across all 13 areas; rather, what is needed to facilitate a significant shift in RMS capacity within such SSA universities and research institutions is a combination of interventions, consisting of differing levels of cost and complexity, variously led (or supported) by both internal and external actors.

The politics and practice of initiating a public health postgraduate programme in three universities in sub-Saharan Africa: the challenges of alignment and coherence

BackgroundIn-country postgraduate training programme in low and middle income countries are widely considered to strengthen institutional and national capacity. There exists dearth of research about how new training initiatives in public health training institutions come about. This paper examines a south-south collaborative initiative wherein three universities based in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Mozambique set out to develop a local based postgraduate programme on health workforce development/management through partnership with a university in South Africa.MethodsWe used a qualitative case study design. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 key informants, who were purposively recruited based on their association or proximity to the programme, and their involvement in the development, review, approval and implementation of the programme. We gathered supplementary data through document reviews and observation. Thematic analysis was used and themes were generated inductively from the data and deductively from literature on capacity development.ResultsUniversity A successfully initiated a postgraduate training programme in health workforce development/management. University B and C faced multiple challenges to embed the programme. It was evident that multiple actors underpin programme introduction across institutions, characterized by contestations over issues of programme feasibility, relevance, or need. A daunting challenge in this regard is establishing coherence between health ministries’ expectation to roll out training programmes that meet national health priorities and ensure sustainability, and universities and academics’ expectations for investment or financial incentive. Programme champions, located in the universities, can be key actors in building such coherence, if they are committed and received sustained support. The south-south initiative also suffers from lack of long term and adequate support.ConclusionsAgainst the background of very limited human capacity and competition for this capacity, initiating the postgraduate programme on health workforce development/management proved to be a political as much as a technical undertaking influenced by multiple actors vying for recognition or benefits, and influence over issues of programme feasibility, relevance or need. Critical in the success of the initiative was alignment and coherence among actors, health ministries and universities in particular, and how well programme champions are able to garner support for and ownership of programme locally. The paper argues that coherence and alignment are crucial to embed programmes, yet hard to achieve when capacity and resources are limited and contested.

Preferred investment vehicles of salaried workers of universities in Sub-Saharan Africa

We investigate the factors and investment preferences that influence university workers in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, Ghana. Using a logit and dataset of 350 workers; our results show that liquidity, risk attitude, age, gender, educational level, and monthly income have an insignificant effect on investment decisions. Other factors such as safety of principal, high return, and marital status contribute significantly to investment decisions; and the most preferred investments were treasury bill, share, fixed deposit, and real estate. This study's findings do not only contribute to an important but neglected area of research, but also policy, theory, and practice on investment and behavioural finance of universities in Africa.