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Abstract
Leadership remains one of the most critical determinants of governance effectiveness, institutional performance, and sustainable development across the world. Despite numerous political and administrative reforms, many countries continue to experience persistent challenges associated with corruption, weak institutions, economic instability, technological disruption, insecurity, and declining public trust. This study examined leadership challenges in Nigeria, Africa, and the global community within the context of 2026. Adopting a comparative qualitative research design, the study relied on secondary data obtained from scholarly literature, policy documents, and reports from international organizations such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and African Union. The analysis was guided by transformational leadership theory and institutional theory. Findings revealed that global leadership is increasingly challenged by artificial intelligence, climate change, economic uncertainty, and democratic polarization. In Africa, leadership effectiveness continues to be constrained by institutional fragility, economic dependency, and governance deficits. Specifically in Nigeria, persistent issues such as corruption, prebendal politics, ethno-religious divisions, youth exclusion, and weak public institutions remain significant barriers. The study concludes that meaningful progress requires a combination of transformational leadership, institutional strengthening, merit-based political recruitment, and active citizen participation.
[Kepemimpinan tetap menjadi salah satu penentu paling kritis terhadap efektivitas pemerintahan, kinerja institusional, dan pembangunan berkelanjutan di seluruh dunia. Terlepas dari berbagai reformasi politik dan administratif, banyak negara terus mengalami tantangan yang berkaitan dengan korupsi, institusi yang lemah, ketidakstabilan ekonomi, disrupsi teknologi, ketidakamanan, dan menurunnya kepercayaan publik. Studi ini menelaah tantangan kepemimpinan di Nigeria, Afrika, dan komunitas global dalam konteks tahun 2026. Dengan mengadopsi desain penelitian kualitatif komparatif, studi ini mengandalkan data sekunder yang diperoleh dari literatur ilmiah, dokumen kebijakan, serta laporan dari organisasi internasional seperti Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa, Dana Moneter Internasional, Bank Dunia, dan Uni Afrika. Analisis ini dipandu oleh teori kepemimpinan transformasional dan teori institusional. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa kepemimpinan global semakin ditantang oleh kecerdasan buatan, perubahan iklim, ketidakpastian ekonomi, dan polarisasi demokrasi. Di Afrika, efektivitas kepemimpinan terus dibatasi oleh kerapuhan institusional, ketergantungan ekonomi, dan defisit pemerintahan. Secara khusus di Nigeria, masalah persisten seperti korupsi, politik prebendal, perpecahan etno-religius, eksklusi pemuda, dan institusi publik yang lemah tetap menjadi hambatan signifikan. Studi ini menyimpulkan bahwa kemajuan yang bermakna membutuhkan kombinasi kepemimpinan transformasional, penguatan institusi, rekrutmen politik berbasis prestasi, dan partisipasi warga yang aktif. ]
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nura Umar Manya Manya (Author)

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References
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- Rotberg, R. I. (2020). The corruption cure: How Britain and America moved from bribe to bribe-free. Princeton University Press.
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References
Achebe, C. (1983). The trouble with Nigeria. Fourth Dimension Publishers.
Amaechi, O. C., Amadi, C. O., & Nnaji, S. E. (2018). Prebendalism and budget authorization in the Nigerian legislature. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(7). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v8-i7/4324
Basiru, A. S., & Osunkoya, O. A. (2019). Post-authoritarian Nigeria: Democratizing under pervasive corruption. Revista Brasileira De Estudos Africanos, 4(7). https://doi.org/10.22456/2448-3923.88679
Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. Free Press.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Bernatzki, T., Busse, M., & Hoekstra, R. (2021). Promoting Rwanda’s business environment: Impact of reforms and drivers of change. Development Policy Review, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12578
Brittain, A. C., & Carrington, J. M. (2024). Application of within-methods triangulation to analyze hospital system health. Advances in Nursing Science, 47(2), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1097/ans.0000000000000525
Brookings Institution. (2026). What should be the top priorities for Africa in 2026? Brookings.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.
Commons Library. (2026). Africa in 2026: Conflict, elections and a new UK framework. UK Parliament.
Driscoll, B. (2020). Big Man or Boogey Man? The concept of the Big Man in political science. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 58(4), 521–550. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022278x20000579
Elliott‐Engel, J., Westfall-Rudd, D., Kaufman, E. K., Seibel, M., & Radhakrishna, R. (2024). State administrators’ perspectives on environmental factors facing cooperative extension. Journal of Agricultural Education, 65(2), 322–345. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v65i2.161
Fletcher, A. J., MacPhee, M., & Dickson, G. (2015). Doing participatory action research in a multicase study. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 14(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406915621405
Fournier, M., Kabanda, M., Lam, R., Yang, S., Zhou, J., De Mooij, R., Klemm, A., Badia, M., Raissi, M., Medas, P., Basdevant, O., Baum, A., Boukezia, R., Fournier, J., Gottschalk, J., Hellwig, K., Khalid, S., Sayegh, A., Suc, G., … Vogl, F. (2019). Fiscal monitor, April 2019. International Monetary Fund. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498302180.089
Hays, D. G., Wood, C., Dahl, H., & Kirk‐Jenkins, A. (2016). Methodological rigor in Journal of Counseling & Development qualitative research articles: A 15‐year review. Journal of Counseling & Development, 94(2), 172–183. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12074
Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press.
Hopper, T. (2017). Neopatrimonialism, good governance, corruption and accounting in Africa. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, 7(2), 225–248. https://doi.org/10.1108/jaee-12-2015-0086
Hult International Business School. (2026). The 2026 leadership landscape: 7 forces shaping the year ahead. Hult.
Ikpe, U. B. (2000). Patrimonialism and military regimes in Africa. African Journal of Political Science, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.4314/ajps.v5i1.27318
Jackson, G. R. (2021). Overcoming small to medium business failure through leadership strategies. Open Journal of Business and Management, 9(1), 353–384. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2021.91019
Joseph, R. A. (1987). Democracy and prebendal politics in Nigeria: The rise and fall of the Second Republic. Cambridge University Press.
Junquera-Varela, R. F., Verhoeven, M., Shukla, G. P., Haven, B. J., Awasthi, R., & Moreno-Dodson, B. (2017). Strengthening domestic resource mobilization in developing countries: Moving from theory to practice in low- and middle-income countries. World Bank Publications. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1073-2
Koten, N. B., & Pandey, D. (2024). Quality management process of religious-based primary school education. Qalamuna Jurnal Pendidikan Sosial Dan Agama, 16(1), 315–326. https://doi.org/10.37680/qalamuna.v16i1.4888
Kukah, M. H. (2020). Religion, politics and justice in Nigeria. Spectrum Books.
Li, J. (2025). Factors influencing national public health governance capacity: Based on NCA and fsQCA. Frontiers in Public Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1628677
McNeil, R., McGrath, R. L., Ackland, K., Oates, R.-K., Woodhart, L., & Wright, K. (2025). What is the impact of an allied health service-learning programme for rural communities: A study protocol using the RE-AIM/PRISM framework. BMJ Open, 15(9), e105353. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-105353
Muringa, T., & Shava, E. (2024). Examining the efficacy of core competencies of municipal leaders in transforming local government in South Africa. International Journal of Public Leadership, 20(3/4), 330–346. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijpl-04-2024-0032
North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge University Press.
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Nose, M. (2023). Inclusive GovTech: Enhancing efficiency and equity through public service digitalization. IMF Working Papers, 2023(226). https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400258626.001
Pereira, G. V., Estévez, E., Cardona, D., Chesñevar, C. I., Collazzo, P., Cunha, M. A., Diniz, E. H., Ferraresi, A. A., Fischer, F. M., Garcia, F. C. O., Jóia, L. A., Luciano, E. M., Albuquerque, J. P. de, Quandt, C. O., Rios, R. S., Sánchez-Ortíz, A., Silva, E. D. da, Silva-Júnior, J. S., & Scholz, R. W. (2020). South American expert roundtable: Increasing adaptive governance capacity for coping with unintended side effects of digital transformation. Sustainability, 12(2), 718. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020718
Reiber, L., & Huang, G. (2018). Comparing study on smart city strategies in Berlin and Shanghai. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Financial Innovation and Economic Development. https://doi.org/10.2991/febm-18.2018.96
Reyes-Guerra, D. (2019). School leader preparation curriculum redesign for integration: Triangulating theory, practice, and instruction. https://doi.org/10.3102/1443168
Rotberg, R. I. (2020). The corruption cure: How Britain and America moved from bribe to bribe-free. Princeton University Press.
Saka, L., & Busari, D. (2023). Patrons and clients. Comparative Sociology, 22(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1163/15691330-bja10071
Scott, W. R. (2014). Institutions and organizations: Ideas, interests, and identities (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Shek, D. T. L., Wong, T., Li, X., & Yu, L. (2023). Use of instructional videos in leadership education in higher education under COVID-19: A qualitative study. PLOS ONE, 18(9), e0291861. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291861
Sholeh, M. (2021). Transformational leadership: Principal intellectual stimulation in improving teacher competences. Al-Ta Lim, 28(2), 167–179. https://doi.org/10.15548/jt.v28i2.708
Slyke, D. M. V., & Alexander, R. W. (2006). Public service leadership: Opportunities for clarity and coherence. The American Review of Public Administration, 36(4), 362–374. https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074006293628
TheCable. (2026). Nigeria 2026: Challenges and prospects. The Cable Nigeria.
Tremblay, D., Touati, N., Usher, S., & Cournoyer, J. (2022). Dimensions of proximity: An actionable framework to better understand integrated practices in cancer networks. International Journal of Integrated Care, 22(3), 9. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.6434