Health
Foundation Selects 74 Public Sector Leaders For 6th Cohort
By Safia Abdulrahman
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has selected 74 public sector professionals from six African countries for the sixth cohort of the Aig-Imoukhuede Public Leaders Programme, aimed at strengthening leadership capacity and advancing reforms.
The foundation said this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by its Executive Vice Chair, Mrs Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, noting the programme was delivered with Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government.
She said the executive leadership programme was designed to equip participants with the skills, perspectives and networks needed to strengthen public sector leadership, enhance governance outcomes and drive sustainable institutional reforms.
According to the statement, the new cohort comprises public servants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Malawi and Zambia, while Botswana and Eswatini are participating in the programme for the first time.
It said the inclusion of Botswana and Eswatini had expanded the programme’s reach, bringing the number of African countries represented since its inception to 12 across the continent.
“Public servants from twelve countries across Africa now have access to the same world-class faculty, the same learning experience and a network of peers facing many of the same reform challenges,” she said.
Aig-Imoukhuede said the network was important because public sector reform could be challenging when individuals felt isolated, working alone within organisations while pursuing change and navigating complex institutional environments.
The foundation said the six-month programme would comprise virtual coursework, an intensive residential week delivered by faculty of Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, and participants’ reform projects.
It said participants would implement the reform projects within their respective ministries, departments and agencies, applying lessons from the programme to address governance challenges and improve public service delivery.
Aig-Imoukhuede said alumni of the programme had led more than 300 reform projects across Africa, while surveys showed 62 per cent assumed expanded leadership responsibilities after programme completion.
The statement highlighted reforms led by alumni, including the development of Nigeria’s first sexual harassment policy for the National Youth Service Corps, which received approval in 2024.
It said the policy established formal reporting and disciplinary procedures for about 400,000 corps members deployed annually, strengthening accountability mechanisms and providing structured safeguards against sexual harassment nationwide.
The foundation also cited an alumni-led initiative in Lagos State that improved primary healthcare access in a riverine community, increasing outreach sessions from four to 12 monthly.
It said the intervention recorded more than 540 outpatient visits and increased childhood immunisation uptake, demonstrating how leadership-driven reforms could improve healthcare access and outcomes in underserved communities.
The foundation said it would continue supporting the sixth cohort as participants developed leadership capabilities and applied their learning to strengthen public institutions and positively impact communities served.(NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
