This inquiry purported to examine the practices of leadership and management accountability in South Nation Nationalities Region public universities. Mixed research design instrumental. Proportional stratified random sampling, and purposive sampling techniques were used to select sample universities and respondents (n=370).Descriptive data analysis tool, mainly mean and standard deviation employed in analyzing quantitative data. Qualitative data analysis methods were applied to the data generated from transcriptions of interviews, FGD and document analysis. One way ANOVA employed to examine the variations between and within groups by considering its assumptions. Besides, Binary regression was applied to test overall model evaluation and goodness-of-fit. Principal component analysis utilized as a data reduction technique among the explanatory variables. Independent t-test also used to compare differences between separate groups and to determine a significant difference in scores between and within groups. The study reveals, the logistic regression model was statistically significant, at Wald test: χ 2 = 24.450, p<. 001. The model explained 36.0% (Nagelkerke R2) of the variation in effective governance practices and correctly classified 68.30 % of cases. Hosmer-Lemeshow test points out the goodness of fit of the model with chi-square value of 8.036 and with a P>0.05, which provides significant at the 5 % level, the model suggesting, does not conform to the data set as alternative assumption (H1).We can conclude that effective governance practices from both leadership and accountability perspective in the sampled public universities were not promising. The study also forwarded six major policy options will aid to insure that the HE to attain effective leadership management and accountability.

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