Leadership: A nexus for development in Africa

The word “leadership” is one word that reverberates through every conversation about Africa’s development in the 21st century. It is no longer news that Africa is blessed with huge deposits of human and material resources that contribute a huge portion of the raw materials that drive the economy of several countries outside Africa. Economists and development experts consider the combination of a young and energetic population, as well as the rate of urbanisation, as key drivers of economic and social development. These drivers exist in large quantities in Africa, yet Africa continues to battle poverty, unemployment, inequality, and weak infrastructure. What a paradox!

Let’s understand development:

Development goes beyond just growth in numbers; it is about real improvement in a country’s economic and social conditions. More specifically, it is about how effectively a nation manages its natural and human resources to create wealth and enhance people’s lives. In simple terms, development is the continuous effort to raise the standard of living and ensure that progress is felt by everyone over time.

The aim of development is to create conditions that enable individuals to realise their full human potential. Human development looks beyond income to include broader measures of progress and quality of life, while also keeping an eye on sustainability, ensuring that today’s development benefits future generations as well. The Human Development Report for 2023/2024, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), categorises Nigeria as low in the Human Development Index (HDI). Among other things, the HDI is calculated by looking at a country’s human development, such as education, health, and life expectancy.

Inequality is a major cause of the low human development in Nigeria. Although inequality exists in both rich and poor countries, a persistent high level of inequality that affects the majority of the population is not only immoral but also dangerous to the continuous existence of such societies. It sometimes stifles growth and instigates social conflict. Inequality is a leadership issue because the choices, biases, and willingness of leaders to challenge the status quo affect the distribution of resources, access to opportunities, and the promotion of diversity. Hence, leadership plays a vital role in addressing and overcoming social and economic disparities. A presentation by Sri Mulyani Indrawati, the Indonesian former minister of finance, at the World Economic Forum in 2016 linked a potential economic growth of 14% in Brazil and 25% in Egypt to just closing the gender gaps.

The African Union’s Agenda 2063, which is the continent’s 50-year strategic plan, identifies governance and leadership as central pillars for realising “the Africa we want”. This recognition underscores a simple truth: leadership is not just one factor among many; it is the decisive factor.

From history to contemporary times on the African continent

The wave of independence that swept across Africa in the 1950s and 1960s carried enormous hope. Leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere envisioned united, people-centred nations. Yet the following decades of military rule, corruption and economic missteps dimmed those dreams, from Nigeria’s squandered oil boom to Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation crisis. Still, renewal is possible. Paul Kagame has steered Rwanda toward stability and innovation, while Botswana prudently managed its diamond wealth. Ghana’s steady democratic transitions further show that accountable leadership and strong institutions remain Africa’s surest path to sustainable growth.

Key leadership qualities that can help Africa’s development

Visionary foresight: This requires that leaders think beyond electoral cycles and plan for generations, not just terms. A visionary and exemplary kind of leadership doesn’t just talk about development—it builds the systems to make it happen. Imagine if Nigerian policymakers created cooperative investment groups among Nigerians in the diaspora—structured networks where professionals abroad could pool resources, fund productive ventures back home, and help fast-track national growth and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Integrity and accountability: This requires fighting corruption not in words but in consistent actions. In a 2016 study involving 407 managers, Rosa Chun, a professor of global leadership, reputation and responsibility, revealed a correlation between integrity and innovation. Therefore, integrity and accountability on the part of a leader can trigger innovation and development across various strata of national and organisational life.

Inclusivity: African leaders must rise above personal biases to build nations that embrace ethnic, religious, and gender diversity. Liberia’s former president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state, showed how inclusive leadership could help stabilise a nation emerging from war.

Adaptability: Leaders must have the courage to innovate in response to global challenges like climate change and digital transformation. It is counterproductive when leaders continually stick with beliefs, traditions, and practices that are anti-development.

To advance the continent’s progress, Africa must intentionally cultivate and embrace leadership that inspires vision, drives accountability, and transforms potential into tangible development outcomes.

Author’s profile:

Dr Solomon Kpandei (Ph.D.) is a strategic leadership expert, global consultant, human resource strategist and author. His work focuses on leadership development, strategic foresight, and organisational culture and systems.

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