Paper short abstract:

The paper contributes to the emerging discourse on global development from an African perspective and seeks to explore the nexus between individual capabilities and development with the view to analytically demonstrate how development leadership can provide a platform for actualizing the SDGs.

Paper long abstract:

Development leadership provides an overarching mechanism for the actualization of Sustainable Development Goals - evident in many advanced economies. Also, it fosters the expansion of capacity to maximally perform within the framework of growing individuals capabilities for strategic development. However, capabilities on its own do not automatically translate to development without an effective leadership configurations in place that is specifically designed to harness capabilities and utilize the same to attain development goals. While it is true that quality leadership significantly contributed to the development of the First World, on the contrary the opposite is the case in most Third World nations particularly in Africa where leadership failures have over the years undermined development programmes. It is therefore crucial to highlight some of these leadership challenges hindering the attainment of SDGs in Africa such as the elimination of extreme poverty and unemployment. The duo, more than any other social issue have continued to constitute threats to the continent's development unabated. It is against this backdrop, that the paper argues that the Africa's underdevelopment arising from many years of leadership deficiencies is highly likely to worsen should the continent fail to adopt and correctly implement inclusive social development policies, sustainable economic growth, and political stability. It concludes by providing policy recommendations that will help in actualizing the SDGs in Africa.