Abstract
The capacity of research supervision in African universities is less developed due to many challenges – poor research infrastructure, limited Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the lack of leadership mandate and support, and lack of faculty to pursue academic research due to heavy teaching loads, inadequate financial support, shortage of postgraduate supervisors and high staff-to-student ratio. This paper discusses factors influencing the engagement in research supervision of academics at an African university. Using research reports, policy papers, and data from DHET, this paper discusses the state of academic research supervision in Africa. The author argues that for the continent of Africa to experience global recognition and competitiveness, institutions of higher education need robust research agendas that will unleash their preparedness for enhancing the research supervision process.