About AABS
An idea was borne by forward-thinking individuals, of an organization that would support African Business Schools through capacity building, collaboration, and quality improvement programmes of deans, directors, and faculty, became a reality when the Association of African Business Schools (AABS) was formally established in October 2005 and registered as a non-profit organization in September 2007.
In keeping with the basic tenets of support, collaboration, and development, quality programs such as the Research Excellence workshop, the Case Teaming and Writing workshop, and the Teaching the Practice of Management workshop were developed and offered to members. Also, an annual conference for business schools and business leaders, AABS Connect, was offered, and this continues to bring in participants from Africa and further afield. This conference gives thought leaders in management education across the world an opportunity to gather and share thoughts and experiences, as well as express their views on African business education and related matters.
AABS has evolved over the years, and in 2018 it started on a historic journey with the launch of AABS Accreditation, the first-ever African Accreditation for African business schools. This accreditation is based on values relative to the African continent and promises to bring African business schools to the forefront of management education.
Our Vision
To be the leading network of quality business education in Africa focusing on relevance, impact, and sustainability.
Our Mission
To promote continuous improvement in quality learning and research across African business schools, through capacity-building activities, networking opportunities, and accreditation.
Values
Integrity, Inclusiveness, Collaboration, Responsibility, Excellence.
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Africa holds over 60% of the world’s arable land, capable of feeding billions while fuelling bio-based economies. Our mineral wealth is staggering: 30% of global mineral reserves, including 90% of platinum, 80% of coltan (critical for smartphones and AI hardware), and 50% of cobalt (essential for electric vehicle batteries). From South Africa’s gold to Congo’s lithium, Zambia’s copper to Nigeria’s rare earth minerals, these resources are the backbone of emerging technologies powering the Fourth Industrial Revolution -electric vehicles, renewable energy, and AI-driven systems. Coupled with this, Africa’s 1.4 billion people, with a median age of 19, form the world’s most vibrant and youthful population, brimming with creativity and entrepreneurial potential.
Our continent is not just a land of promise - it is the richest place on earth, endowed with unparalleled resources and a dynamic population ready to shape the global future. My vision is clear: to position AABS as the catalyst for harnessing Africa’s wealth - natural, human, and intellectual - to drive sustainable economic development through academic rigour, innovative research, and ethical leadership.
AABS is uniquely positioned to unlock this wealth for Africa’s future prosperity. Our business schools are not just academic institutions; they are engines of transformation, bridging academia, industry, and governance. We will drive development by:
• Africa-centric research: Producing rigorous research that informs policy and shapes industries. We will create our own publication outlets, such as the Journal of African Business Innovation and Business School Review, to amplify our voice and challenge global narratives, blending indigenous wisdom with cutting-edge innovation.
• Resource accountability: Advocating for transparent and equitable utilization of Africa’s resources. By embedding governance and ethics in our curricula, we will train leaders to ensure that mineral wealth and arable land benefit Africans first, reducing leakage and fostering inclusive growth.
• Standardization metrics: Developing AABS-led accreditation and ranking systems that reflect African priorities, ensuring our schools are globally competitive while addressing local challenges like unemployment and inequality.
• Strategic influence: Claiming our seat at continental forums like the AU, AfCFTA, ECOWAS, and SADC to shape policies that leverage our resources for job creation and sustainable industrialisation, targeting a tripling of intra-African trade by 2040.
Our youthful population is our greatest asset. Through AABS, we will empower them as innovators and job creators, not just job seekers, equipping them to lead in AI, green tech, and digital trade. By 2030, we aim for 20 AABS schools to rank among the world’s best, driving economic growth that could add trillions to Africa’s GDP.
Join us in this bold journey to make AABS the vanguard of Africa’s renaissance, where our resources and people propel the continent to global leadership.
aabs governing board
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Professor Maurice Radebe is the Head and Director of Wits Business School. An
experienced energy industry executive, he previously served as Executive Vice President of
Sasol Limited, responsible for Sasol’s energy business globally. Prof Radebe started his
career with Shell before taking on the role of CEO of Exel Petroleum, the first black-owned
oil company in South Africa. Following the merger of Exel with Sasol in 2003, Prof Maurice
joined Sasol Oil and spent the following 16 years with Sasol, managing several successful
global joint ventures. Prof Radebe was a member of the Sasol Oil board for 14 years, and
served as chairman for ten years. Passionate about leadership development, he is also the
founder and chairman of the Unleashing Leadership Potential (ULP) Foundation. Prof
Radebe holds an MBA from Wits Business School, and a certificate in General Management
from Harvard University.
Professor Olayinka David-Wes, now Dean of Lagos Business School, is an esteemed academic and thought leader renowned for her expertise in the intersection of business management and technology. With an illustrious career spanning several decades in IT and financial services, she has made significant contributions to academia, research, and the advancement of business practices through her insightful analyses and strategic thinking. Professor David-West, the Associate Dean at the Lagos Business School, is a passionate advocate of digital transformation and inclusive finance. She has held critical positions at prestigious institutions. At LBS, she has served as a faculty member, academic director, and accreditation lead, propelling the school to attain international accreditations and global rankings. Her research and practice engagements focus on the transformative impact of technology on business models, strategy, and organisational dynamics alongside policy interventions toward digitally transformed businesses and society.
Professor David-West's thought leadership is exemplified by her numerous publications in renowned journals and frequent contributions to conferences and seminars. Her work has significantly influenced the discourse surrounding inclusive finance, digital transformation, innovation adoption, and technology-driven disruption in various industries. She is often sought after as a keynote speaker, panellist, and consultant by organisations looking to navigate the complexities of modern business environments. Since 2015, she has led the Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Financial Services (SIDFS) initiative, a research and advocacy initiative dedicated to enhancing financial inclusion in Nigeria. Under her leadership, SIDFS has become the leading capacity-building platform for operators and regulators within the financial service ecosystem. She maintains strong connections with industry practitioners and policymakers. Her collaborations with businesses, startups, and governmental bodies have led to pragmatic solutions that bridge the gap between theory and practice. Her advisory roles have enabled organisations to navigate disruptions and embrace technological innovation with a strategic outlook.
Professor David-West's contributions have been recognised with numerous awards and accolades, highlighting her impact on academia and the business community. Her ability to translate complex concepts into actionable insights has garnered respect and admiration from peers, professionals, and students. Professor David-West holds advanced business administration and technology management qualifications from renowned institutions. Her academic journey has been marked by a commitment to continuous learning and a passion for exploring the ever-evolving dynamics of business and technology. She has expert certifications in financial inclusion policy and digital money, is a governing council member of the Fintech Association of Nigeria, and is a member of the African Women in Finance and Payments. She is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), and an academic advocate for the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). She is also a qualified Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) practitioner.
After his legal studies in the UK, Kevin spent the next 10 years in the fields of law, banking and investments with a strong focus on the African continent. In 2018, he set up his own boutique corporate finance firm licensed and regulated by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius advising clients with respect to their investments in Africa. He also obtained the much-coveted Corporate Finance Qualification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW). Around the same time, he also started developing a keen interest in executive education for the African continent. As such, he was involved in setting up in 2018 and 2019 two executive programmes on investment strategies in Africa. Both events gathered around 120 investment professionals and speakers from Sub Saharan Africa. In late 2021, Kevin alongside other investors took over the Centre for Legal & Business Studies (CLBS), an educational firm licensed and regulated by the Mauritius Qualifications Authority and the Higher Education Commission. In 2022, CLBS became the first Mauritian establishment to join AABS and hosted in 2023 the Deans and Directors Forum in Mauritius. Besides his passion for finance and education, Kevin also hold interests in a portfolio of Mauritian companies in accounting, tax, healthcare, sports, real estate and food security.
Mamadou Habib DIALLO is wearing a double hat of a teacher researcher and an entrepreneur. He is aholder of a PhD in Organizations Management and a postgraduate degree inFinancial Engineering, Auditing and Management Control. He also holds anHonorary Doctorate Degree in Social Work and Education from the EuroamericanInternational University.
Besides of being Managing Director of Sup 'Management,he is the administrator of both the Malian Quality Assurance Agency (AMAQ SUP),and the University of Management Sciences of Bamako (USGGB) on behalf of the MalianBoard of Employers and the University of Ségou. On the international scale, hewas also responsible for the administration of training centers of 13 countriesin sub-Saharan Africa. As a professional in education and vocational training,he worked as a consultant for several international organizations, ministerialdepartments, and mainly, for many companies and multinational firms establishedin Mali.
Over the past 20 years, he has contributed, throughthese various responsibilities, to the emergence of highly qualified,competitive human capital, who are capable of dragging Africa from poverty andleading it to prosperity, in particular by giving young Africans to learn andto undertake, through international standard trainings.
In diplomatic field, he is the Honorary Consul ofLithuania in Mali. Moreover, on an international scale, he holds highinternational responsibilities as Delegate for Mali in the World Council forIndustrial and Labor Relations "CONMORIT. He is also a vice-president ofthe Foundation for Research, Culture and Education "FORCE" and Commissionerfor Strategy and Mobility of the International Network of Private HigherEducation Establishments, RIDPES/CAMES.
Besides that, Mr. Diallo is the Vice-president of theIntercontinental Conference of Universities & Business Schools "C.I.U.G.E,which gathers 150 institutions from the 5 continents. He is currently the Presidentof the Association of Private Higher Education Establishments in Mali and hasjoined the governing board of the Association of African Business Schools.
M.H. DIALLO is a Knight of the National Order of Mali.
Angela Ndunge is a full-time Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour and Leadership at Strathmore Business School (SBS). She holds an MSc in Work and Organisational Psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Psychology from the University of Nottingham (UW). She is also a chartered member of the British Psychological Society.
Dr. Ndunge's areas of specialization are leadership development, managing people and social influence at work, occupational health and safety, organizational training, workplace assessment and testing, workplace counseling and career development, and work-related mental health. She is an experienced trainer and has facilitated numerous leadership programs for executives across Africa. She has also been involved in the design and implementation of numerous customized programs for several companies such as Absa Bank, Safaricom, Simba Corp, WCB Bank, Wenya Revenue Authority, Strathmore University, SANLAM, Nation Media Group, Isuzu Wenya among others. Additionally, she is an experienced mental health practitioner.
Her research interest is mainly in organizational psychology. She is currently the Principal Investigator for a grant worth $3,200,000 awarded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to support religious social ministries run by Catholic sisters into sustainable social enterprises in Zambia, Wenya, Uganda, and Tanzania for a period of 3 years (2022-2024). Additionally, she is also the Principal Investigator for a research grant worth $989,439.00 granted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The research aims to advance women's leadership in the Wenyan health sector through organizational and systems change efforts.
Dr. Ndunge has held several leadership roles in the business school. She served as the Director of Faculty Affairs, Vice Dean-Executive Talent Development, and Deputy Executive Dean at Strathmore Business School where she was in charge of driving the Executive Education Strategy and expansion of SBS in East and Southern Africa. In addition to her administrative roles, she is also the academic director of the Senior Managers Leadership Program (SMLP), as well as the Course leader of the Advanced Management Program (AMP).
Dr. Ndunge is also the Board Chair of St. Patrick Primary School and St. Patrick Girls School Mbiuni, Machakos County, and serves as a member of the Human Resources Committee of the Management Board of Strathmore University.
Yasmine SY SARR is currently the Strategic Development and Quality Assurance Director of Groupe Supdeco Dakar, (West Africa) and Academic Director, one the first business school in West Africa, since 2009. She has been part of the development and growth of the institution serving as the Head of International Relations and quality for 7 years, where she developed their international network on four continents (Europe, America, Asia and Africa) an Accreditations.
Yasmine SY SARR holds a master’s degree in international business and Finance from Rennes School of Business in France and a Master of Arts in International Business from the Open University Business School in London (UK). She is currently a Phd candidate in Management. She began her career as a financial auditor in KPMG in Senegal.
For over twelve years, she has been very active on promoting quality assurance and internationalization in higher education in Africa. She is regularly invited in various places in the world to share her experience in quality assurance and internationalization in higher education.
Alongside her work, she was in charge of the sponsorship commission of the Senegalese Tennis Federation for 10 years. She is also very active in humanitarian and women empowerment associations.
"For me , a positive mindset and strong Education are Power"
It takes a multi-talented leader, innovative businessperson and expert in curriculum design to direct Henley Business School South Africa. Dean and Director Jonathan Foster-Pedley has worked in six continents and has over thirty years of global business experience. He is a former airline pilot and senior executive in the European aerospace industry, and has guided and facilitated cohesion and productivity in international and local multicultural sales and marketing and management teams.
He is also an entrepreneur, a leading academic and coach (working as a visiting professor in Strategy, Creativity and Innovation), and a writer and blogger. He is Vice Chair for the South Africa Business Schools Association. Foster-Pedley’s expertise in strategy, creativity, design, thinking and innovation are key features of the Henley MBA curriculum.
He has developed hands-on programmes designed to stimulate innovative business thinking strategies, to increase productivity in the workplace, and to develop self-confidence, self-belief, creativity, proactivity and out-of-the-box thinking. Foster-Pedley has the business acumen, the academic prowess, and the social conscience to direct Henley students so that they reach the full productive potential in every facet of their daily lives.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Development) of Strathmore University
Emeritus Professor at the Graduate School of Business of the University of Cape Town
Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Pan-Atlantic University
Chairman, African Management Initiative
Barclays Endowment Chair Professor at the University of Nairobi, School of Business
Founding Director and Sasol Chair of Strategic Management of the Gordon Institute of Business Science
Director, Academic Affairs at HEM Business School
Dean and Director, Namibia Business School
aabs team
Marketing and Communications Officer
Noura brings a diverse background in operations, customer engagement, business development, and event management to her new role in Marketing and Communications. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and has built her career across both corporate and entrepreneurial environments.Her professional journey includes roles in both corporate and startup settings, with responsibilities ranging from managing partnerships and client relationships to supporting communications and service delivery. Her experience also includes planning and delivering events aligned with institutional objectives and audience needs.Over the years, she has led operational teams, coordinated cross-functional initiatives, and delivered tailored solutions for stakeholders across the MENA region. Her work spans customer engagement, content creation, and multilingual communication, ensuring consistency and alignment across initiatives.She is fluent in Arabic, English, and French, and has operated confidently across multicultural and multilingual contexts.
Learning and Engagement Manager
Fatima-Zahra Belhimer has a background in marketing, communications, and executive program coordination. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Communication Studies from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.
Her professional journey includes roles in both corporate and nonprofit sectors, with responsibilities ranging from the execution of executive education programs to the management of brand and communication strategies. Her experience also includes planning and delivering events aligned with institutional objectives and audience needs.
Over the years, she has led branding and communications efforts, coordinated cross-functional teams, and managed the production of content and campaigns across various platforms. Her work spans digital and traditional channels, ensuring consistency and coherence across initiatives.
She is fluent in Arabic, French, and English, and has operated across multicultural and multilingual contexts.
Executive Operations Specialist
Ganna Salah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The American University in Cairo. She has developed strong expertise in market research, financial analysis, and operational management through roles at leading organizations . Fluent in English, French, and Arabic, Ganna combines analytical skills with leadership experience gained through active participation in student government and athletics at AUC.
Senior Events and Member Services Specialist
Ayanda brings over a decade of experience in events and project management across the government, private, legal, and non-profit sectors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has strengthened her expertise with professional certifications in project management.
She has delivered flagship conferences, networking events, and small to large-scale gatherings, managing the full event lifecycle — from concept and strategy through to execution and post-event analysis — to ensure seamless delivery and measurable results. Her work spans event design and delivery, budget management, sponsorship coordination, stakeholder engagement, and relationship management across diverse industries and regions.
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Executive Director
Lana Elramly leads the Association of African Business School’s (AABS) operations with a specific focus on the development of African business schools as the AABS Director: Accreditation and Strategy.
Prior to that, Lana has held the position of AABS Accreditation Director since 2018 and, in this time, has overseen the launch of the AABS Accreditation and has provided strategic leadership in planning, implementing and supervising the quality-based AABS accreditation system. In her current role, she has put her experience in higher education, accreditation, and quality improvement in Africa and the Middle East into spearheading a new vision and direction for AABS that will be of benefit to the entire AABS network. Her key responsibilities are to develop a strategy for AABS operations while still continuing to overlook the accreditation process. She is working closely with the AABS Secretariat to design and implement the plans that will benefit all AABS members and she, as leader of the team, is enhancing the association’s performance and capabilities.
Lana graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Affairs from George Mason University, USA, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with Honours from the American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt, and has also participated in the “Women in Leadership” programme at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also brings to AABS a wealth of experience from her tenure of more than ten years at AUC. In her capacity as Manager: Academic Assessment and Accreditation, she, twice, achieved the School of Business its Triple Crown Accreditation with a record breaking three visits in one academic year. Prior to joining the education sector, she worked for the Department of State, Inspector General’s office, based in Washington DC, USA, where she was instrumental in assisting teams with inspecting US missionaries around the globe while preparing requested reports and briefs as demanded by the US Senate.