By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Sixty-eight public servants have completed the AIG Public Leaders Programme (PLP) Class of 2023 after undergoing six months of intensive training conducted by the faculty of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
The Class of 2023 comprised high-potential public sector leaders from across Africa, including an additional international participant from Kenya.
The graduation ceremony held on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in Abuja, was graced by notable dignitaries, including the Head of Service, Mrs Folasade Yemi-Esan; the Minister of State for Health; the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Mr Olatunji Olaopa; and Social Welfare, Mr Tunji Alausa; and the chairman of Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, among others.
In his opening remarks, Mr Aig-Imoukhuede congratulated the graduating class, noting that these graduates are a step towards building an Africa that can extricate itself from the depths of underdevelopment with capable and empowered public servants.
This understanding, he said, drives the foundation’s unwavering commitment to partnering with the public service to effect lasting change.
He expressed his gratitude to Mrs Yemi-Esan, for her unwavering support of the Foundation's initiatives, noting that it has helped foster a robust collaboration within the service and drive better results.
Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, Mr Olaopa emphasised the importance of transforming Nigeria’s public sector to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.
“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,” he said.
To date, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has trained over 700 public servants through various capacity-building initiatives.
Throughout the programme, all participants underwent rigorous training, culminating in the development of capstone projects aimed at driving transformation within their ministries, departments, and agencies.
These projects, now in the implementation phase, showcase the participants’ commitment to effecting positive change within their Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Adedapo Adesanya