Delivering the paper at the recently concluded International Conference on African Development 2025 (iCAD25), held at Aston Business School, Aston University, UK, Dr. Frank Yao Gbadago—a senior lecturer and Head of the Department of Studies in Education, Faculty of Business Education at AAMUSTED, Kumasi—and Ms. Agnes Fafa Anthony, his wife and Deputy Managing Partner at Frank Y. Gbadago Chartered Accountant and Tax Practitioner, Kumasi, examined systemic weaknesses within university governance structures and proposed a new framework for institutional efficiency.

Drawing on foundational governance theories, the researchers argued that public universities in developing countries continue to grapple with persistent agency problems. Despite decades of academic contributions by scholars such as Jensen and Meckling (1976) and Fama and Jensen (1983), governance in these institutions remains “complex and unclear.”

The presentation underscored the central role of governance in university performance, particularly in relation to national development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Governance is central to performance in public universities,” the researchers stated, explaining that it plays a key role in addressing agency problems, managing control systems, and reducing monitoring costs. They emphasised that strengthening governance is “vital for public universities to fulfil their national transformation agenda.”

The study employed a mixed-methods approach involving 77 governance stakeholders from Ghanaian public universities. Through factor and thematic analysis, the researchers identified two core governance dimensions—operational efficiency mechanisms and behavioural monitoring mechanisms—which together explained over 65 percent of the variance in agency-related problems and governance inefficiencies. According to Dr. Gbadago, “Agency problems persist due to weak governance and misaligned incentives.”

The research drew from three theoretical perspectives—Agency Theory, Exemplification Theory, and Heuristic Reasoning—to develop a more comprehensive understanding of governance challenges. The researchers argued that “inadequacies in traditional agency theory and the lack of integration with exemplification and heuristic reasoning” limit the effectiveness of existing models in addressing behavioural misalignments and institutional constraints in university settings.

The presentation also highlighted findings from prior studies pointing to inefficiencies in university councils and managerial oversight. Citing Arslan et al. (2022), Ntim et al. (2017), and others, the researchers noted that higher education institutions in emerging economies often suffer from decentralised governance systems that complicate accountability. “Recent research efforts point to inefficiencies in university councils and managerial oversight,” they said.

In response, the researchers proposed a hybrid governance-performance framework that links agency issues to institutional performance. This framework, they argued, supports “responsible management and sustainable governance in public universities” while aligning university operations with broader national and developmental goals.

The study’s conceptual model suggests that agency problems trigger monitoring mechanisms and associated costs, which in turn influence institutional performance through both operational and behavioural efficiencies. The authors maintained that “focused governance reforms can mitigate risks and enhance performance.”

Recommendations included implementing regular audits, performance-based reviews, and staff rotation policies to minimise conflicts of interest. The researchers also called for strengthened governance councils, improved managerial oversight, and greater institutional capacity-building through training and policy reform. “There is a clear need to strengthen governance councils and management oversight and build institutional capacity through training and policy reforms,” Ms. Anthony stated.

At the societal level, the researchers suggested that effective governance reforms could enhance public trust and support progress towards SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

The study’s contributions included an empirical model linking governance to performance and an integrated theoretical framework combining agency, heuristic, and exemplification reasoning. The researchers concluded that “our study provides a governance framework tailored to public universities” and “demonstrates the relevance of agency, exemplification, and heuristic theories in higher education governance.”

They advocated for further research into post-reform governance models, the use of digital accountability tools, and the influence of political economy factors on governance outcomes in African public universities.

The International Conference on African Development 2025 (iCAD25) took place from June 18 to 20 at Aston University Business School in Birmingham, UK. Organised by the Ghana Scholarly Society in collaboration with the British Council, the event brought together scholars, policymakers, and development practitioners to explore the theme “Sustainable Development and Youth Employment in Africa: Challenges and Way Forward.” The conference addressed the continent’s growing youth unemployment crisis and examined practical, evidence-based strategies aligned with global development goals. Through academic presentations and policy dialogue, iCAD25 served as a platform to reimagine Africa’s development trajectory by focusing on education, equality, climate resilience, and the transformative power of its youth.

Read the full presentation here [attach full presentation as pdf/SlideShare or in-built link].