Research excellence and sustainable development in Africa: an overview of current concerns and prospects in the 21st century

Abstract

This paper uses the concept of “research excellence” to investigate the contribution of research to sustainable development in Africa and propose strategies for enhancing research practice in the region. Specifically, the paper the causal relationship between research and sustainable development, the concept of research excellence, the factors that retard the growth of research in Africa, and propose strategies for enhancing research excellence in the African region. Significantly, the paper proposes that to improve the relevance and impact of research in sustainable development there is a need to enhance quality in assurance in research processes, intense investments in research infrastructure, a close collaboration between various stakeholders such as research agents, the local community, policymakers, and practitioners. More importantly, there need to revisit the scholarly communication ecosystem in the region with the view to make dissemination and access research information on the continent affordable and visible through more investment in digital libraries, repositories, and adoption of open access publishing of research findings