*Ex-Education Minister, Fola Adeola, others want dynamic leadership in 2023
Former United States Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Clinton, former Minister of Education, Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, Chairman of FATE Foundation, Mr Fola Adeola, American leadership expert and writer, Dr John Maxwell and other experts have disclosed that the analytical mindset of leadership is the necessary condition for good governance, saying that a leader without followers is just taking a walk.
According to the experts, good leaders, who command actual following, are known for their circumspect and analytical mindset, adding that good leaders do not gamble with the fate of their subjects, as they analyse every situation before taking policy decisions to avoid or minimise risks.
TheIdeal recalls that a leadership mindset involves having certain attitudes, beliefs and expectations that create the foundation of who you are, how you lead others and how you interact with and influence your colleagues. The mindset is very important because it is the driving component of everything we do within our job.
The experts stated this during the second convocation of School of Politics, Policy and Governance in Abuja.
Hillary Clinton, Ezekwesili, Fola Adeola, Karen Losse, Alero Ayida-Otobo were among the experts that advised the graduating students of SPPG to be circumspect and analytical in all circumstances, especially in leadership matters.
Hillary Clinton, in a short video message, stressed the need for Nigerians to exercise their franchise in the 2023 general elections, noting that participating in electioneering would strengthen the country’s democracy.
Clinton also told the graduating students to apply the lessons learnt from SPPG to change the paradigm for all Nigerians.
Ezekwesili, who is the Convener, #FixPolitics Initiative and founder of SPPG, urged the graduating students to adopt an analytical mindset.
She said, “In God we trust, but everyone must bring their data. You should be analytical in all circumstances.”
According to Ezekwesili, research revealed that the missing characteristics of good governance were character, competence and capacity.
Noting that character and integrity are insufficient unless they are consistent, she noted the timeliness of SPG’s second convocation.
She also emphasised the importance of preparedness for the arduous task of leadership, while encouraging the graduating sudents to analyse every situation before taking policy decisions to avoid or minimise risks.
Ezekwesili linked the root of Nigeria’s leadership problem to distorted political culture where leaders place personal interests above public good.
According to her, there must be a change of mindset by leaders to fix the dwindling economy and security challenges in the country, inisisting that character, competence and capacity were the missing links in producing good leaders in Africa.
The former vice president of the World Bank, Africa Region, therefore, stressed the need for disruptive thinkers in the nation’s political space as well as to educate the citizens on the consequences of making bad decisions during elections.
She said, “What we found is that not just Nigeria, but across Africa, there is a political culture that is distorted. It is the political culture where those in public leadership subordinate the public good for their personal and narrow interests. What it means is that the common good is not served by people who should be serving. To correct that, you need a new leadership mindset.
“So, the training that we gave at SPPG is one that has the content to reset the mindset of those who wish to lead. They lead by serving and place character at the foundation of the knowledge that we give them by improving on their competency and the capacity to articulate sound policies, design institutions that enable society to advance and to make the right investment choices that countries need in to grow.”
Delivering the keynote address, Fola Adeola stressed the need for African leaders to think deep and harness the vast resources available to develop Africa.
According to him, Africa has more of a future, as it has history. “But the future cannot be achieved if we remain in the static pace of the past. We must find a new future by learning from the past, where digging into the ground is the only way to survive,” he added.
For the Dean of SPPG, Yetunde Anibaba, the students have undergone some sort of positive genetic mutation and physiological upgrade to prepare them for the world into which they will be released.
Ayida-Otobo, who is the Chief Executive Officer, noted that the institution was designed to transform the quality of political and public leadership in Africa.
She disclosed that the Class of 2022 comprised 133 students who underwent 10 months intensive training.
She said, “The Class of 2022 studied 140 topics in seven thematic areas. Research shows that there were certain gaps in the knowledge base of lots of public leaders. So, this is our own contribution in building the knowledge base of future leaders, and we are very pleased that we have 133 graduating students.
“A lot of them are already doing great work. They are already community organisers serving at the community level and recruiting individuals that have the potential to be part of our community. We also have among them at least three that scale through the primaries conducted by parties,” adding that the 10-month course would stretch and strengthen one’s leadership capacity.
She praised the graduating students as potential leaders set for impact.
Losse, who heads the Governance Fund of GIZ, spoke about the significance of working for the citizens, while urging the students to exhibit good character while showcasing their talents.
She said, “It is your job to go out there and make governance work for all citizens.”
The lead compere, Mr Oseni Rufai of ARISE TV, urged the Class of 2022 to continue making a difference in all spheres of life.
He said, “I believe, very soon across every state of the federation, you can take this as a prophecy; we will see in the Government House of every state of the federation the alumni of SPPG,” he said.
As part of the #FixPolitics Initiative’s values, the SPPG aims to transform African politics. The institute’s goal is to build a massive base of a new value-based, disruptive-thinking political class equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively lead.
Some of the SPPG’s guiding priciples include accountability, respect and tolerance, stewardship and responsibility, social justice and inclusiveness, ethical leadership, moral compass founded on integrity and honesty, and adherence to the rule of law.
The SPPG, which is based on the #FixPolitics mission, is critical to the group’s goals of elevating the ‘Office of the Citizen’ to its proper position in society and creating a political class of servant-leaders.
The school’s goal is to attract, nurture and produce a new generation of political leaders, who will listen to and serve a new class of informed citizens. It also aspires to produce 21st century politicians known for their values-driven personalities.
Other personalities that spoke to the graduands on the issue, include Dr Yetunde Anibaba.
