Digital Leadership and University Performance in Northeast Nigeria: The Mediating Role of Digital Transformation Capability

Abstract

Digital transformation is becoming increasingly crucial for boosting university effectiveness, but the extent to which leadership transforms digital investment into institutional performance in Northeast Nigeria is not well recognised. This study investigated the link between digital leadership, digital transformation capability, and university performance, with a focus on the mediating role of digital transformation competence. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population included 2,000 academic and senior administrative professionals from universities in six states in Northeast Nigeria. Via Yamane's technique, a sample of 333 respondents was determined and selected via multistage sampling. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data, including bootstrapped structural-path and mediation analyses as well as measurement-model evaluation. The results demonstrated that while digital transformation capability strongly predicted university performance (β =.373, t = 7.021, p <.001), digital leadership positively predicted digital transformation capability (β =.441, t = 8.950, p <.001). Additionally, there was a substantial direct impact of digital leadership on university performance (β =.210, t = 3.953, p <.001). Additionally, the association between digital leadership and university performance was partially mediated by digital transformation competence (indirect β =.164, 95% CI [.115, .220]). According to the findings, enhancing university performance in Northeast Nigeria requires boosting digital leadership as well as institutional transformation competence.