Dr Justice Nyigmah Bawole is a Professor of Public Administration and Management. He is the immediate past dean of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) and a former Chair of the Department of Public Administration and Health Services Management at the UGBS. He holds a PhD in Development Policy and Management from the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK, and MPhil, BSc Administration, and Diploma degrees in Public Administration from the University of Ghana. He was trained earlier as a teacher at Wesley College of Education, Kumasi, and taught at the basic and secondary school levels before entering academia.

Professor Bawole also worked as Director of Research and Projects at the International Centre for Enterprise and Sustainable Development (ICED) an Accra-based nonprofit, where he led numerous community development and capacity-building initiatives. His academic work spans over 100 publications, including books, book chapters, encyclopaedia entries, technical reports, and journal articles in leading international outlets. His teaching and research interests include Ethics in Administration, NGO and Nonprofit Management, Green Business Management, Leadership Development, and Public Sector Human Resource Management. He is a member of the editorial board of the Human Resources Development Review.

As Dean of UGBS from August 2019 to July 2025, Professor Bawole led a transformative agenda that expanded infrastructure, staff and faculty development, strengthened partnerships, and advanced the School’s global reputation. Prior to that, he served two terms as Head of the Department of Public Administration and Health Services Management. In addition to serving on all UG statutory bodies where he makes very constructive contributions, Prof Bawole had chaired very important university level committees such as the Committees that developed the UG Internship Policy, Teaching and Learning Policy, Transport Policy among others. He has also served on very important search committees in the University.

Beyond academia, he has served as Commissioner of the National Development Planning Commission, member of the Governing Council of the National Banking College and a member of Ghana Board of Reach for Change (nonprofit). He is a founding Convener of the Africa Chapter of the UK based Development Studies Association. Prof Bawole chaired the technical committee that developed the Ghana National Public Sector Reform Strategy and is currently co-chairing the Committee to revise the next phase of the strategy. He is also a member of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee of Parliament of Ghana. Prof Bawole is a regular and highly sought after speaker on important national issues and a trainer of leaders and Managers in different sectors.

Professor Bawole has over three decades of experience in teaching, leadership, and development consultancy. He has contributed to numerous international assignments, including World Bank funded projects, UNDP, UNEP, SECO, KfW, OXFAM. Prof Bawole is a passionate advocate of ethical leadership and ardent developer of talent. He loves to mentor the next generation of leaders and scholars and advocates for institutional and governance reforms and a corruption-free Africa.

PhD in Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, UK, Sept 2013               

Master of Philosophy in Public Administration, University of Ghana, Dec 2006

Bachelor of Science in Administration (Public Admin Major), University of Ghana, May 2003

Nonprofit Management and Public Sector Management

Ethics in Management

Leadership Development

Zook, S., Adjei-Bamfo, P., Monrow-White, T., & Bawole, J. N. (2026). e-Government Adoption in Ghana: Structural Conditions and Employee Affective Orientation. Public Administration Review. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/puar.70068

Meinhold, R., Wong, A., Neher, A., Adjei-Bamfo, P., & Bawole, J. N. (2026). Radical environmentalism and corporate environmental responsibility: does a country’s GDP per capita matter for environmental justice?. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 1-20.

Dartey-Baah, K., Bawole, J. N., & Mumin, A. A. (2025). Towards Ethical Universities in West Africa: Integrating Communal and Global Ethics into Academic Institutions. Journal of Academic Ethics, 1-25.

Mahama, P. Y., & Bawole, J. N. (2025). Critical issues of managing workplace diversity in developing countries: focus on Ghana. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 1-23.

Mintah, K. O., Nakouwo, S. N., Ahenkan, A., & Bawole, J. N. (2025). Exploring climate change investment initiatives and funding challenges among faith‐based organizations in Ghana. Development Policy Review, 43(2), e12826.

Mintah, K. O., Domfeh, K. A., Ahenkan, A., Bawole, J. N., & Nakouwo, S. N. (2025). Optimising Private Sector Participation in Local Economic Development: A Study of Kwahu South Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Journal of Development Policy and Practice, 10(2), 192-207.

Neher, A., Wong, A., Adjei-Bamfo, P., Meinhold, R., Bawole, J. N., & Pawar, M. (2025). Social development funding desiderata: Key issues, financing gaps and options. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 25166026251345296.

Amidu, M., Ahenkan, A., Mensah, J. K., Bawole, J. N., & Issahaku, H. (2024). Informal Settlements, Pandemic and Consequences: A Cross-Country Analysis. Journal of Health Management, 26(5), 763-775.

Mintah, K. O., Ahenkan, A., Bawole, J. N., & Nakouwo, S. N. (2024). Scaling up climate change finance in Ghana: The role of religious institutions. Business Strategy & Development, 7(3), e70012.

Mamman, A., Branine, M., Bawole, J., & Rees, C. J. (2024). Entrepreneurship and Africa’s cultural context. Africa Journal of Management, 10(2), 89-99.

Agyabeng, A. N., Bawole, J. N., Ahenkan, A., Mensah, J. K., & Preko, A. (2024). External stakeholders in the governance of slums in Ghana. Social Responsibility Journal, 20(3), 427-443.

Acheampong, J. O., Dzordzormenyoh, M. K., Bawole, J. N., Ahenkan, A., & Sakyi, E. K. (2023). Vertical accountability among ministries of state in an emerging economy: A case study of Ghana. Cogent Business & Management, 10(2), 2199488.

Nkrumah Agyabeng, A., Bawole, J. N., Ahenkan, A., Mensah, J. K., & Preko, A. (2023). How do slum dwellers influence policies affecting their lives? Perspectives from Ghanaian slums. Open House International, 48(4), 806-821.

Amidu, M., Mensah, J. K., Ahenkan, A., & Bawole, J. N. (2023). Insulating highly vulnerable populations from global pandemics: The case of Ghanaian informal settlements. Cities, 141, 104504.

Amofa, S. K., Owusu, G. M. Y., Bawole, J. N., & Atta, M. (2023). Eradicating extreme poverty in Africa through productive inclusion: A comparative assessment of two social protection programmes in Ghana. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 89(3), 883-900.

Bawole, J. N., & Langnel, Z. (2023). Administrative reforms in the Ghanaian public services for government business continuity during the COVID-19 crisis. Public Organization Review, 23(1), 181-196.

Bawole, J. N., & Langnel, Z. (2023). Corruption-induced inhibitions to business: What business leaders have to say in Ghana. Journal of African Business, 24(1), 59-76