Abstract
Leadership challenges affecting sustainable higher education in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised. The objective of the research was to identify leadership competencies that can support sustainable higher education in Nigeria. The Nigeria education system is faced with countless problems today, which include insufficient funding, inconsistency in programs offered, instabilities in policy changes, absence of adequate infrastructure, corruption, and frequent interruptions of the academic calendar due to incessant staff strikes and student unrest. Using a qualitative phenomenological research methodology, fourteen participants who are leaders in the higher education system were purposively sampled and interviewed using a semi-structured interview structure. The data were manually analysed using thematic analysis procedures and five themes emerged, which are inadequate funding of higher education, challenges facing the higher education system, required leadership competencies, non-functioning of the higher education system, and recommended leadership in higher education. The findings showed that numerous challenges are bedevilling higher education institutions in Nigeria. The main recommendation was that the government should avail enough funding for higher education in the country, as this can help the institutions to resolve pressing issues like capital and recurrent expenditures. The government should review the higher institution curriculum in line with new challenges. Trends in higher education are old and not in line with the new trend of technology.
Keywords: Leadership, leadership qualities/competencies, higher education in Nigeria, sustainability...