…Initiative to assess leadership impact, strengthen institutions and promote accountable governance across Africa
The African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, has appointed former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, as Director of its newly launched African Leadership Legacy Project (AFRILEAP).
The initiative, launched through the university’s Centre for Pan-African and Peace Studies (CePAPS), is designed to assess leadership impact, strengthen institutional continuity and promote accountable governance across Africa.
Peterside, a leadership and public policy expert, said the project would challenge leaders to consider the lasting impact of their decisions and actions beyond their time in office.
“AFRILEAP asks every leader one fundamental question: What do you want to be remembered for long after you are gone?” he said.
The President of AUST, Professor Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, who commissioned the project, pledged the university’s support, assuring that it would provide an enabling environment for researchers and senior fellows to deliver on its objectives.
Onwualu said the initiative aligned with the university’s founding ideals and its commitment to advancing Africa’s development through research, innovation and human capacity development.
The Director of CePAPS, Professor Chudi Uwazurike, also pledged the centre’s commitment to ensuring the project’s success and promoting its adoption across the continent.
AFRILEAP is designed to address a recurring governance challenge in Africa: the failure of policies, reforms and development programmes to endure when political leaders leave office.
Through research, evidence-based assessments and leadership development programmes, the initiative seeks to identify ways of building institutions and systems capable of sustaining progress beyond individual tenures.
Its research framework will assess leadership legacies across five areas: values transmission, institutionalisation of systems, human capacity development, socioeconomic impact, and public and organisational memory.
The project will examine historical figures, serving public-sector leaders and private-sector executives to generate insights into leadership effectiveness and lasting institutional impact.
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Nigeria will host the initial fieldwork, with comparative studies planned in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt and Rwanda.
The multidisciplinary research team comprises scholars and practitioners from Africa and the United Kingdom with expertise in governance, technology, sustainability, peacebuilding, communications and leadership development.
Members include Dr Aminu Bello Usman, Dr Mohammed Dahiru Aminu, Richard Ali, Dr Jeff Ukachukwu, Dr Sam Danso, Professor Olalekan Adekola, Dr David Molapo and ZohAkiy Mbi-njifor Mbapeh.
Over the next 18 months, AFRILEAP will prioritise the development of mathematical, psychometric and qualitative indicators for an African Leadership Legacy Index, designed to evaluate leadership impact beyond immediate achievements and short-term performance.
Other planned outputs include an African Leadership Legacy Framework, an open-access knowledge hub, policy briefs, Executive Legacy Masterclasses and a 12-month Future Legacy Leaders Fellowship.
The programmes are intended to strengthen leadership capacity, promote institutional learning and equip emerging leaders with the skills to build sustainable institutions.
AFRILEAP is also seeking support from development institutions, philanthropic foundations, corporate organisations and strategic partners to advance its research, policy engagement and leadership development programmes.Editorial note: The report is based on the supplied announcement. Before publication, confirm the official titles and spellings of all project team members, particularly ZohAkiy Mbi-njifor Mbapeh, and verify whether the appointment and launch have additional dates or venue details that should be included.