Overcoming the past and shaping the future: the quest for relevance in teaching and researching public administration in Africa

The status of teaching and research on public administration in Africa countries, many respects, remains a vestige the colonial era this is reflected epistemologies that underpin design curricula pedagogies adopted. They have been further shaped by injunctions neoliberalism conditionalities donor aid which promote normative northern models administration. Recognising reality African scholars others have, for some time, advocated transformative policy formulation governance more accurately reflect contexts. Commencing with an analysis historical factors state formation administrative practices post-colonial Africa, article broadly examines how are taught researched institutions. It also reflects challenges confront academics developing conducting relevant to their national In so doing, it considers ways might retain essence key theoretical precepts whilst adapting them local argues stronger pan-African focus development materials traverses linguistic geographic boundaries.