Reforms and Changes in Governance of Higher Education in Africa

Higher education in Africa has received favourable political attention and funding support in the period following independence. The rationale for state funding was questioned in the 1980s, and the higher education reforms in the 1990s centred on finding alternative ways of financing and on improving the managerial efficiency of universities. This focus was reflected in the market-friendly reforms that led to the privatization of public institutions and the promotion of private institutions. These reforms resulted in substantial changes in the governance and management of higher education. IIEP initiated a research study to analyse the reforms and to understand their effects on the governance of higher education at institutional and national levels. Based on studies carried out in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, this book shows how the reforms have effected changes in the governance and management of institutions of higher education in Africa.