Editorial

This issue of Makerere Journal of Higher Education (MAJOHE) presents five papers from Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria. Authored by senior academic and administrative staff in their respective higher education institutions, the papers address procurement performance, student and staff attrition and Science and Technology education. Picho examines the link between the staffing of two tertiary institutions and their performance in the area of public procurement. Starting with cross-referenced exposition of the subject of procurement theory and practice over centuries, this study decries challenges in institutional procurement after which the author attempts to establish whether, in the case of the said tertiary institutions, these problems are related to human capacity. The study reports a positive correlation (.611) between institutional human capacity and procurement performance, so prioritisation of institutional human capacity building is recommended.Mlengule addresses student attrition (at Cardinal Rugambwa Memorial University College) while Kyaligonza and Kamagara address staff attrition at public universities in Uganda. It is of striking interest that lines of similarity are discernible from these studies albeit which are differently designed and geographically diverse. Moreover, the studies are also largely in tune with Rupia’s study on the challenges and prospects in Tanzanian higher education. These three studies discuss some of the dilemmas of neoliberal reform—a persevering theme in scholarship on contemporary African higher education—reporting developments, responses and new approaches that have been tailored to suit the peculiarity of regional and institutional contexts.Finally, Oyelade and Abolade trace the historical development of Science and Technology Education in Nigeria with specific reference to the challenges that have been experienced and prospects for reform. At a time governments across Sub-Saharan Africa are working to promote industrialization through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, this study is particularly timely. It is our hope that policy makers and implementers will find it a useful resource.As usual, our thanks are due to the authors for publishing their work in MAJOHE; our anonymous reviewers for their insightful feedback; and to African Journals Online (AJOL) for their contribution towards the production, indexing and dissemination of the Journal