Foundation announces 74 public-sector leaders for cohort programme

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has announced the 74 public-sector professionals selected for the sixth cohort of the Aig-Imoukhuede Public Leaders Programme.

Blueprint reports that the leadership initiative was delivered in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, said in a statement in Abuja that the programme equipped participants with the skills, perspectives and networks needed to strengthen public-sector leadership and drive reforms.

Ofovwe said the new cohort comprised of public servants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Malawi and Zambia, with Botswana and Eswatini represented for the first time.

“It brings the programme’s reach to 12 African countries since its inception.

“What began five years ago as an effort to strengthen public-sector leadership has grown into a continental network of over 300 reformers sharing a common training ground and, increasingly, common challenges.

“Each new country adds a different governance context, enriching the exchange of ideas and expanding perspectives on what reform can look like across different systems,” Ofovwe said.

According to the executive Vice Chairman, public servants from the 12 countries across Africa will have access to the same world-class faculty, learning experience and network of peers facing many of the same reform challenges.

Ofovwe said the programme reminds public servants that they are not working in isolation but as part of a wider community of reformers across the continent.

“The sixth cohort will follow the same six-month structure that has shaped its predecessors: virtual coursework and an intensive residential week delivered by faculty of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

“The alumni have led more than 300 reform projects across the continent.

“A recent impact survey shows that 62 per cent of alumni surveyed have since taken on leadership responsibilities after completing the programme.

“The programme’s emphasis on applying learning to real public-sector challenges is reflected in the reforms led by alumni across different areas of public service.

“These include the development of Nigeria’s first sexual harassment policy for the National Youth Service Corps, approved in 2024, which established formal reporting and disciplinary procedures for approximately 400,000 corps members deployed annually.

“In Lagos State, an alumni-led initiative to improve primary healthcare access in a hard-to-reach riverine community increased outreach sessions from four to 12 per month, with more than 540 outpatient visits recorded and an increase in childhood immunisation.

“As the sixth cohort begins its journey, the Aig-Imoukhuede foundation looks forward to supporting these leaders as they deepen their capabilities, broaden their perspectives and apply their learning to the institutions and citizens they serve,” Ofovwe said.