Latest news with #AIGPublicLeadersProgramme
Zawya
25-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Shaping Africa's Public Service for Global Impact: A Critical Look at the AIG Public Leaders Programme
Across the globe, effective public service stands as the cornerstone of sustainable governance and development. From Europe to Asia, the drive to professionalise public administration has transformed nations by ensuring citizens receive timely, efficient and equitable services. In Africa—where rapid urbanisation, economic transformation and social inclusion remain at the forefront of developmental agendas—public service reform is not merely an administrative necessity but a bold vision for achieving resilient, empowered communities. In Nigeria and throughout the continent, the challenges are well documented. Public sectors often grapple with underfunding, inefficient processes and inadequate capacity-building initiatives. The absence of robust institutions leaves millions facing inequality, with gaps in service delivery hindering economic progress. Yet, these challenges also present a unique opportunity: a call to reimagine public service as a transformative force that can uplift communities, empower citizens and drive economic growth. Against this backdrop, the AIG Public Leaders Programme (AIG PLP) emerges as a noteworthy initiative. Established by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation in 2021 and developed in partnership with the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, the programme is designed not as a quick fix but as a long-term investment in leadership excellence. Its intensive curriculum is tailored to equip public sector leaders with the analytical tools, strategic insights and mentoring support necessary to navigate the complexities of modern governance. What sets the AIG PLP apart is its commitment to practical, measurable outcomes. Participants not only engage in world-class training but are also tasked with real-world challenges through a reform project, which encourages innovative solutions to entrenched problems across Ministries, Departments and Agencies. For instance, an alumnus of the programme reengineered operations at a Primary Healthcare Centre, reducing patient waiting times dramatically—a model now poised for replication across Nigeria and beyond. In addition to this achievement, the initiative has spurred transformative changes in other critical sectors. At the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, efforts under the programme contributed to the development of Africa's first standardised on-thejob training manual for Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel, significantly enhancing aviation safety and operational efficiency. Similarly, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has benefited from an automated dossier review process that resolved a 15-year backlog in regulatory approvals, thereby accelerating access to essential medicines. This initiative reflects a broader trend observed globally: the recognition that leadership development is crucial for reform. Across continents, countries are investing in tailored training programmes that empower public servants to be more responsive, efficient and innovative. In Africa—and Nigeria in particular—such efforts are vital. With populations that are rapidly expanding and economies in constant flux, the need for a well-equipped, agile public sector cannot be overstated. The statistics behind the programme's impact are telling. Over 230 reform projects already reshaping the public sector landscape have been instituted across various Ministries, Departments and Agencies by the participants of the programme, and a call for applications for the next cohort is currently underway. In Nigeria, where administrative reforms have the potential to redefine governance and public welfare, the AIG PLP offers a model worth emulating. Its comprehensive approach not only addresses immediate challenges but also builds a sustainable pipeline of leaders capable of steering long-term change. The initiative reinforces the idea that strategic investments in human capital are essential for creating resilient institutions, capable of driving economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for millions. Ultimately, the future of Africa's public service hinges on the cultivation of visionary leaders who can bridge global best practices with local realities. The AIG Public Leaders Programme serves as a compelling reminder that, when public servants are empowered with the right skills and insights, transformative change is not only possible—it becomes inevitable. One leader, one organisation, one innovative solution at a time, Africa is shaping its own future. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
Zawya
15-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Trickle-Down Training: How One Leadership Programme Alumnus Helped Shift the Training Landscape in Nigerian Aviation Sector (By Uchechi Ijeoma Edosomwan)
By Uchechi Ijeoma Edosomwan, Deputy General Manager&Head, Electronic Communications Department, Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, and alumnus of the AIG Public Leaders programme. The Nigerian aviation sector has been in the spotlight this past year. Amid some turbulence – such as calls for greater maintenance of aircraft – the recent appointment of Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo has led to a wealth of opportunities. New routes and connectivity through recently inked international partnerships, a leap in our compliance ratings that will simplify aircraft leasing and financing, and private sector collaborations to build new maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities. It is an exciting time to be in this industry, especially for those of us passionate about skills development – which I believe is going to be essential to the success of these projects. More aircraft and communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) systems will require more maintenance and safety checks, which in turn will require more skilled inspectors, engineers, and safety personnel. But how can we accelerate the training of these vital public servants? In 2021, after more than 20 years in the sector, I came to the realisation that my own skills needed to become more diverse if I wanted to make a positive impact. Being an ardent learner – whose personal objective is to be change agent and enabler – I jumped at the opportunity to join the AIG Public Leaders Programme delivered by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. The programme offers public servants the chance to learn new skillsets, develop their leadership capacity, and drive change in the public sector. Even more importantly, alumni are tasked with completing a Capstone Project that will lead to a tangible, positive change in their institutions and directly or indirectly enhance service delivery to the public. I work in an aviation agency which is a safety, knowledge, and hands-on-driven sector, and I noticed that we could improve efficiency in our training programmes. For example, every Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEP) is required to be licensed and rated to work on any engineering equipment. The ATSEP is required to undergo a two-weeks On-the-Job Training (OJT) prior to being presented for such ratings, so they can be recognised as technical specialists who provide, install, and maintain the CNS facilities that enhance air traffic management. My Capstone Project, Standardisation of On-the-Job-Training for ATSEP Communication Ratings, was an intervention for a procedural systematic change where an OJT Manual was developed to further improve the training standard, while monitoring and effectively benchmarking the performance and achievement of the vision and mission of my directorate. Putting together this 125-page manual was far from easy, requiring a five-person team and the unflinching support of the Director of Safety, Electronics and Engineering Services and his Management team. Since the manual was approved for use in 2022, all subsequent ATSEP cohorts, in the communication sector in MMIA, have used it during their training period, allowing them to quickly grasp the working principles of the communication facilities. It has improved training such that the supervisors are able to effectively monitor the progress of the training with more precision with the benchmark the manual provided. I was honoured to receive a letter of commendation from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency for this work of improving ATSEP preparedness for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Rating Examinations in Communication Systems. The success of this project may have led to my appointment to chair a steering committee in my directorate in 2024; a committee that was given the task of producing a 4-year planner for the engineering directorate as well as recommend projects and strategies to positively impact the directorate's ability to achieve its goals and objectives. My training has had a trickle-down effect, and even if just one person has benefited, and is similarly inspired to originate new learning tools or develop their own leadership capabilities, then I can definitively say the AIG Leaders Programme's thesis is correct. We were taught that informed leaders are the catalysts of positive change, and if there are enough of us, we can help to transform our respective sectors. In aviation, we could introduce the policies that reduce import duties on tools and spare parts so that budgets can accommodate and provide for more. We could create the strategies to manage obsolescence and minimise downtime – even when we face supply shortfalls. But most importantly, we could change the way we interact with the public, the people who need our services; take on their feedback and implement it to become more compliant and efficient. We could be the cornerstone of Minister Keyamo's bid to grow the Nigerian aviation sector. With the right skills development, the right investment in leadership, the sky's is just the beginning! Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
