By Abubakar Yunusa
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, has emphasised the critical need for innovation in public sector leadership, urging Nigerian civil servants to embrace new ideas and strategies for improved governance.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2024 AIG Public Leaders Programme in Abuja on Thursday, he underscored the importance of forward-thinking leadership in addressing the complexities of modern governance.
Aig-Imoukhuede noted that the AIG Public Leaders Programme, in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, has successfully trained four cohorts of public sector leaders equipped with world-class skills.
He highlighted that effective governance relies on the ability of civil servants to implement policies efficiently, innovate, and respond to evolving global challenges.
“The civil service holds the key to every nation’s success. Not because civil servants are inherently special, but because government is the legal and accepted vehicle that exists to make life better for the people,” he said.
He further emphasised that when public services are managed by well-trained and motivated professionals, economies thrive, businesses grow, and jobs are created. However, a weak and inefficient civil service, he warned, could hinder progress and economic development.
The immediate past Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, also spoke at the event, reinforcing the importance of innovation in governance.
He stressed that a nation cannot progress without an efficient civil service, which serves as the backbone of policy implementation. According to him, public servants must be equipped with the capacity to innovate, plan, and execute ideas that drive development.
“What we’ve seen from the projects developed during this course is the need to empower public servants with the ability to think critically and implement solutions. The public service is not just about policy-making but also about execution and innovation,” Osinbajo stated.
He cited Nigeria’s success in managing crises like Ebola and COVID-19 as evidence of the impact of competent public servants.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, commended the AIG Public Leaders Programme for its role in strengthening leadership within the civil service. She acknowledged that some alumni of the programme are already contributing significantly to ongoing reforms in the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan.
“Through this programme, we have provided public sector leaders with world-class training, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and mindset required to drive innovation and excellence in public administration. This aligns perfectly with our vision of building a citizen-centric, efficient, and incorruptible workforce,” Walson-Jack said.
She urged the participants to apply their newly acquired skills in their respective institutions and ensure that their expertise translates into tangible improvements in service delivery.
The event brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Nigerian Senate, the Blavatnik School of Government, and other partners. The discussions reinforced the idea that innovation is no longer optional in governance but a necessity for driving sustainable development.
Aig-Imoukhuede stressed that an effective public service must see the private sector as a crucial partner. He pointed to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s introduction of a Payment Service Provider License Framework as an example of how public sector innovation can unlock economic opportunities.
“The public service exists to facilitate enterprise and support the private sector. It is through partnerships and innovative thinking that we can transform governance and improve the lives of citizens,” he said.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to empowering public sector leaders with the necessary skills to tackle governance challenges.
“The AIG Public Leaders Programme has become more than just a contribution to the development of Nigeria and Africa’s public service. It has emerged as a game-changing initiative for building capacity within the civil service, both locally and across the continent,” she said.
She noted that through collaboration with the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, the programme had produced four cohorts of exceptional public sector leaders equipped to navigate the complexities of modern governance.
The 2024 AIG Public Leaders Programme, which has now concluded, reaffirmed its mission to build a new generation of forward-thinking public sector leaders dedicated to driving transformative change across Nigeria and Africa.
