The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has announced the graduation of the AIG Public Leaders Programme (PLP) Class of 2023 at its closing ceremony on the March 20, 2024, in Abuja. This event marked the culmination of six months of intensive training for 68 public servants conducted by the faculty of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
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.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje 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 Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s unwavering commitment to partnering with the public service to effect lasting change. He expressed his gratitude to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade 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, Dr. Olatunji Olaopa, Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, emphasised the importance of transforming Nigeria’s public sector to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world. Dr Olaopa 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.”
The Class of 2023 comprised high-potential public sector leaders from across Africa, including an additional international participant from Kenya. The closing ceremony was graced by notable dignitaries, including Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of Service, and Dr Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, alongside permanent secretaries, directors from various ministries, departments, and agencies, and private sector partners.
To date, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has trained over 700 public servants through various capacity-building initiatives, a testament to the Foundation’s dedication to nurturing a new generation of African public servants. The Foundation’s drive for the transformation of public service delivery is not limited to capacity building. Through collaborative initiatives with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in Nigeria, the Foundation is driving digitalisation, performance management, and cultural change projects to foster a more efficient and accountable public sector. The graduation of the third cohort of the AIG Public Leaders programme marks a significant milestone in the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to empower over 3,000 public sector leaders in the next decade.
Applications to join the fourth cohort of the AIG Public Leaders programme are currently open. Visit aigimoukhuedefoundation.org/leaders-programme to apply.
