Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation moves closer in drive to empower 3000 PSLs

• 3rd cohort of PLP turn out 68 participants

Business a.m.

A commitment by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to developing leaders in Africa, to empower 3000 public sector leaders (PSLs) has moved a notch further with the successful completion of its 2023 Public Leaders Programme (PLP) class.

The ceremony, held in Abuja, Nigeria, March 20, 2024, marked the end of the six-month programme, conducted  in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. The PLP, which aims to equip public servants with the skills and knowledge to be effective leaders, involved 68 participants from a range of African countries.

An important component of the PLP was the development of capstone projects, through which participants applied the knowledge and skills gained during the programme to address challenges within their respective Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

In his opening remarks, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, congratulated the graduating class on completing the programme. He stressed the importance of the programme in equipping Africa’s public servants with the necessary skills and knowledge to transform their ministries, departments, and agencies. He also emphasised the crucial role that capable and empowered public servants can play in lifting Africa out of underdevelopment and leading the continent towards a brighter future.

He acknowledged the support of Folasade Yemi-Esan, head of the Civil Service of the Federation,  in making the programme a success. He commended Yemi-Esan for her leadership and commitment to fostering a positive working relationship between the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation and the Nigerian public service, stressing that this relationship has resulted in better outcomes for both the Foundation and the Service, highlighting the importance of effective partnerships in driving positive change.

In his keynote address, Olatunji Olaopa, chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, spoke about the need to transform Nigeria’s public sector to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

He noted: “Key to the transformation of the public sector is the emergence of change agents who are motivated, competent, and sufficiently incentivised to push the change management process forward.

“The AIG Public Leaders Programme plays a fundamental role in producing world-class graduates with the urgently needed dose of innovativeness and administrative capacity to become change managers ready to tackle the critical task of guiding the public sector towards genuine service and innovation,” Olaopa said.

The graduating class of 2023 comprised 68 public sector leaders from Africa, with one participant coming from Kenya. The closing ceremony was attended by dignitaries and government officials, including  Folasade Yemi-Esan, the head of the civil service of the federation, Tunji Alausa, the minister of state for health and social welfare, and a number of permanent secretaries and directors from ministries, departments, and agencies across Nigeria. There was also a strong representation from the private sector, with a number of partners of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation in attendance.

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s commitment to developing public sector capacity is demonstrated by its training of over 700 public servants through a range of initiatives.  The graduation of the 2023 class of the AIG Public Leaders Programme represents a significant achievement for the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, as it brings the Foundation closer to its goal of empowering over 3,000 public sector leaders in the next decade.