Dakuku to lead AUST’s African leadership legacy programme

The African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, has appointed former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Dakuku Peterside, as Director of its African Leadership Legacy Project.

The project, launched through the university’s Centre for Pan-African and Peace Studies, is designed to measure leadership impact, strengthen institutional continuity and promote governance systems capable of sustaining development beyond individual leaders’ tenures.

A statement by the university on Monday added that Dr Bosco Okolo-Obi, Centre Leader of CePAPS, will serve as Programme Manager.

Inaugurating the project, the President of AUST, Prof Azikiwe Onwualu, said the initiative aimed at promoting accountable governance and sustainable leadership across Africa.

He commended the conceptualisation of AFRILEAP, noting that its vision aligned with the founding ideals of the Pan-African university and its commitment to advancing the continent’s development through research, innovation and human capacity development.

He pledged the university’s full support, assuring that it would provide an enabling environment for senior fellows and researchers to achieve the project’s objectives and help address Africa’s leadership challenges.

Also speaking, the Director of CePAPS, Prof Chudi Uwazurike, pledged the centre’s commitment to ensuring the initiative’s success and promoting its adoption and impact across the continent.

Uwazurike said AFRILEAP sought to address a persistent governance challenge in Africa: the discontinuity of policies, reforms and development programmes following changes in leadership.

“Through rigorous research, evidence-based assessment and leadership development, the initiative aims to promote institutions and systems capable of delivering sustainable results beyond the tenure of individual leaders,” he said.

He added that the project’s research framework would assess leadership legacies across five dimensions: values transmission, institutionalisation of systems, human capacity development, socioeconomic impact, and public and organisational memory.

According to Uwazurike, the project would examine the legacies of historical figures, contemporary public-sector leaders and private-sector executives to generate insights into leadership effectiveness and lasting institutional impact.

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AFRILEAP will begin its fieldwork in Nigeria, with comparative studies planned in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt and Rwanda.

Its multidisciplinary research team comprises scholars and practitioners based in Africa and the United Kingdom, with expertise in governance, technology, sustainability, peacebuilding, communications and leadership development.

The team includes a computer science and cybersecurity specialist, Dr Aminu Usman; an expert in sustainability, governance and public policy, Dr Mohammed Aminu; a peacebuilding and institutional resilience specialist, Richard Ali; a communications and management strategist, Dr Jeff Ukachukwu; and an artificial intelligence researcher and strategic research leader, Dr Sam Danso.

Other members are an expert in geography, environmental systems and climate adaptation, Prof Olalekan Adekola; a South African leadership strategist and human capital development specialist, Dr David Molapo; and an expert in governance, executive leadership and organisational development, ZohAkiy Mbapeh.

Speaking on the initiative, Dakuku said, “AFRILEAP asks every leader one fundamental question: What do you want to be remembered for long after you are gone?”

The statement noted that, over the next 18 months, the project will prioritise the development of mathematical, psychometric and qualitative indicators for the African Leadership Legacy Index.

The indicators are expected to provide a structured basis for evaluating 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 statement added, “The initiatives are designed to strengthen leadership capacity, promote institutional learning and equip emerging leaders with the knowledge and skills to build sustainable legacies.

“Through its research and development programmes, AFRILEAP aims to provide policymakers, public institutions and private-sector organisations with evidence-based tools for assessing leadership beyond immediate achievements and political tenure.

“It also seeks to encourage leaders to build resilient institutions, institutionalise effective systems and invest in developing future generations of leaders.”