Because African Leaders do no have the political -will to make things work in their countries. They lacked the commitment, sincerity, and honesty that will drive the quest for development. I think they need or required an anti-dose that will cure them from failures.

These leaders pay lip services to education and issues regarding Research and Development and Human Capital Development.

Hello Hakeem,

The interest of most international organizations, and investment sources is, first, to advance their own agenda. This may present Africa as an opportunity to customers, sales , and other actions that are short-lived. If Africa could get out of its own inertia and corruption!

The reason why academic research outcomes hardly inform development policy practice in Africa, is that Africa does not do anything about it. Take the initiative and try, serve your "autoctone", self-driven, interested first, then forge partnerships that will circle around your needs, your opportunities to self. Solar energy, for example, not birth control policies.

Cheers, Ed Gerck

IMHO. Policy change is normally developed through grass roots organizations that spring up from people who are directly impacted by existing policy or lack of policy. However, that requires a communication channel to political leaders. But, political leaders are not normally democratic in Africa nor are they accessible without a multi-level structure of subordinates that you can use to move your way up the chain. Policy development in other nations with long-standing institutions will continue to be an unlikely source of novel development until the institutions to exact change are built within the African political leadership. Since many are led by one person with enormous power, this is not going to be an easy road.

I fear that it is true because too few policy makers have advanced degrees that empowered them to view the world analytically with an interest in knowing what the state of the art might be. Much policy making throughout Africa could be characterized as "seat of the pants intuition"..... A more well-schooled cohort of policy makers is important for the future.

In Africa, there is a wide disconnect between government, higher institutions, citizens and development partners towards collaborative efforts in actualising demand-driven governance, demand-driven research [demand-pull research] that aim to promote research for development. Poor funding in the educational sector, and in particular, research is a major constraint. Higher institutions have community development as one of their statutory mandates, but unfortunately, it is neglected by the higher institutions and government. The UNESCO approved 26 percent of a nation's annual budget for Education, but in Africa there is a wide disparity, it is below 10 percent. Private/group interests drive most political leaders in formulating public policies.Participatory research synergy, where higher institutions involve the government, private sector and citizens is critical for research-based citizen -driven governance and sustainable development.

This is a very important question, pointing to a serious problem that actually hinders the development of the African region. I think that previous answers and comments point to the essence of the problem. I will emphasize once again that the will of cooperation government - universities - business - society should be developed.

And most important now: the African countries should concentare their efforts (also in financial dimension) on education.

Interesting question.

Fine question. Look at the dynamics of the policy space, and ask how research can constitute a holonomic structure. See Preprint Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Africa: Harking the Holonomic

The solution to most problems that are endemic in Africa can be found in so many writings here in Africa! there are so many earth breaking discoveries that require just synergy, cooperation and the political will to implement. the compartmentalization of social organs of change vs-a-viz: academic institutions, government agencies and organized private sector is one of the major factors militating against implementation of research outcomes.

It could possibly be because most of those research are not problem oriented I. e those research are never designed in the first place to address any known problem that are of important to the development of African countries.

I suggest the right people should be put in right positions in the institutions and in government.

Some of the findings are not empirical nor factual.. Also, the journals that those findings are published are not properly indexed, making it difficult for accessibility. When we publish policy brief papers, we should # tag the right agencies and stakeholders to see our suggestions and recommendations.. etc. # raging TRCN and NPE about my article on the Inclusion of Thinking skills as a teaching subjects in secondary schools.

The previous responses are correct, but i think that the leadership space in Africa is largely bedeviled by lack of political will to drive research outcomes. Most leaders in Africa occupying sensitive positions are mostly mediocres who creates lopsided holonomic structure in research/educational policy formulations.

No matter the quality of funding, as long as there are deficits in leadership potentials (and not addressed), nothing tangible will happen. My recommendation is that our political space needs massive leadership disruption that will normalize leadership inbalances in our research holonomy. This is because in a geometric structure, the holonomy of a connection is closely related to the curvature of the connection. More details on my book...... "The Holonomy of Leadership Curvature in Africa"...........Loading!

I must agree with Kennedy. As it is in the USA Trump administration there is a jealousy, or envy of academics, research analysis, data-based decisions, and strategic planning that embraces all of the essential contributions of private and public sectors, the formal economy, tax-based public accountability, and the coordination of human and material resources. Too often people in government see themselves as competitors rather than team members in human and economic development. Too often diversity is not recognized as an essential strength of any political state...It is tragic that these lessons seem to be lost in many high places today.

Well said Prof Richard. Your observation very obvious.

For case of Nigeria, the reasons are clear. Tribal/clanish and personal political aganda reigns over anything, causing nepotism and unproductivity. The coming to power of another tribe disrupts continuity as a result Nigeria is a country with excellent policy documents but with no implemented policy direction. The excellent policy documents are usually drafted to please the international community.

Elite theory explained the disconnect between the political leadership and its system of governance relationship with knowledge institutions is most countries. Understanding the principles of elite consciousness, cohesion and conspiracy to attain their set goals, undermine their synergy with educational institutions that would proffer public interest-based solutions to identified state issues. Another variable is politics of ethnicity and religion which is a common feature in Africa where ethnic and religious leaders of the ruling elites influence governance outcomes more than collaboration with educational institutions. The quality of leadership and governance in some countries where government work closely with educational institutions are good examples for transformational leadership, good governance and sustainable development. For instance, in Scandinavian countries, Singapore, etc;

It can be addressed by first having the square pegs in a square holes that's devoid of ethnic or religious bias. Secondly by ensuring that there's synagy between the researchers and policy makers

The problem is that African nations tend to budget little or nothing to research. Any government that commits a reasonable percentage of her budget to research will do everything humanly possible to implement recommendations from the funded research.