By Adeola Badru

African countries continue to lag in development due to a lack of visionary and consistent leadership, a leading governance expert has said.

Professor Adedayo Olukoshi of the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, made this assertion on Tuesday while delivering the keynote address at the 2nd Annual Ibadan International Social Science Conference held at the University of Ibadan.

Speaking on the theme, “Social Science in a Changing World: Challenges, Socio-Economic Adaptation, and Resilience,” Olukoshi said African leaders must move beyond crisis management and focus on building long-term national visions that outlive individual political tenures.

“Africa’s biggest challenge is the tendency of new leaders to discard the programmes of their predecessors, instead of improving and building upon them,” Olukoshi said. “No country achieves progress by starting from scratch. While countries like China have clearly articulated visions up to the end of the 21st century, many African nations are still caught in cycles of repetition and abandonment of policies.”

He cited Singapore as a model of how strategic policy continuity and national consensus can accelerate development, adding that Africa needs to embrace similar discipline in governance and planning.

On the education front, Professor Olukoshi stressed the importance of modernising Africa’s academic curricula to reflect global realities and promote innovation.

“It is counterproductive to impose a one-size-fits-all curriculum on Nigerian universities,” he said. “Standardisation of this nature suppresses creativity, debate, and innovation—elements that are essential in navigating today’s complex world.”

In his opening remarks, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, described the conference theme as timely, noting that social science research has a crucial role in shaping responses to technological change, social inequality, and economic instability.

He called on scholars to produce research that goes beyond the ivory tower and informs real-world policies.

“As academics, we must ensure that our findings inform policy and positively impact the lives of people in our communities,” Adebowale said. “Our graduates must be trained not only in critical thinking but also in ethical reasoning, if they are to address today’s global and local challenges.”

Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Benjamin Ehigie, added that the conference aims to arm students and early-career scholars with the necessary tools to remain relevant in a dynamic and competitive global knowledge economy.

He emphasised the importance of platforms like the conference in promoting collaborative dialogue and skills enhancement for the next generation of African social scientists.