CHALLENGES FACED BY AFRICAN RESEARCHERS: SOME CRITICAL REFLECTIONS

Research is a prerequisite for the success and credibility of any academic institution around the globe. This is even more so for an institution of higher education whose mandate is primarily to produce new knowledge and impart new skills to its student population while also influencing national and international policies. In line with this trajectory, it is irrefutable that the university community, particularly academics and those who occupy management positions should be constantly engaged in research. It is through such an endeavour that they could set a good example to both the students and younger academics. However, this does not always happen. Some universities have a very high research output and therefore receive high accolades while others are almost non-existent in the national and international ratings. The question is: why is this the case? Certainly, no simple answer could be provided for such a question. However, the paper attempts to provide a rather tantalizing response by reflecting on some of the challenges faced by researchers based in African institutions of higher education, especially black researchers when trying to fulfill their mandate to conduct research and produce new knowledge. Using examples from different African contexts, the paper outlines a number of challenges these researchers have to contend with compared to their counterparts in other parts of the world. This is very crucial if the current situation is to be remedied at all in future.