By Gloria Ikibah
As part of its contribution in strengthening governance in Africa, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has marked the successful completion of the fourth edition of its AIG Public Leaders Programme, an executive training initiative for government officials.
The programme, which was in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, is aimed at equipping public servants with the skills to drive effective governance.
At the graduation ceremony held in Abuja, participants from Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda were celebrated for completing the rigorous training, aimed at enhancing public service performance across the continent.
Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), in his keynote address, described the graduates’ mandate in bold terms.
Osinbajo urged participants to leverage their training to dismantle systemic barriers and reimagine equitable service delivery
He said: “You are Public Service Scientists. Just as technologists invent groundbreaking tools, you must create systems that ensure health, safety, education, and opportunity reach every citizen—not as a privilege, but as a promise”.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, commended the Foundation’s role in reshaping governance.
“The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has shown commitment to building a public sector that prioritises citizens. This programme equips leaders with world-class skills to drive innovation and align with our vision of an efficient, ethical, and citizen-centric workforce”, she said.
As part of the programme, participants developed and began implementing reform projects to tackle systemic challenges within their Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), driving improvements in public service delivery.
Chairman of the Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, stressed the urgency of transforming Africa.
“Our challenge is not merely about accelerating processes; it is about catching up. Catching up demands more than intelligence—it requires a transformative mindset and a willingness to break new ground. This programme equips public servants to tackle systemic bottlenecks while promoting collective action—the power of us—to drive impactful change across the continent”, he asserted.
Dignitaries in attendance included the President of the Senate, represented by Senator Gershom Bassey; representatives of the Governors of Delta and Kano States; representatives of the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Heads of Service of Ekiti and Nasarawa States.
Graduating participants will join a growing network of alumni who have been trained since 2021.
The Foundation reiterared its committment to its mission of training 3,000 public sector leaders by 2030, equipping them with the skills needed to drive impactful reforms. Applications are now open for the fifth cohort of the programme.