Africa: The Case for Developmental Universities

Abstract

Over the decades, African universities, particularly the publicly funded ones, have played a significant role in developing human resources for state bureaucracies including ministries, departments, boards and agencies, the education sector, and the professional class, such as lawyers, bankers, judges, engineers, doctors, accountants, and managers. Nonetheless, African universities have had minimal to zero impact on producing the people who can solve the developmental problems plaguing the African continent. In fact, the graduates turned out by these universities tend to perpetuate the status quo rather than transform the state organisations that employ them.