Abuja,March 13, 2026 (NAN)The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called on public servants to adopt efficient, visionary leadership, and accountability to transform Africa’s public sector
Tunji-Ojo made the call at the Closing Ceremony of the 2025 AIG Public Leaders Programme ,organized by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation on Thursday in Abuja.
According to him, Africa’s greatest asset is not its natural resources but its people, stressing that public servants must understand the true meaning of service to unlock the continent’s development potential.
“The greatest asset of Africa are Africans. If we can understand the true meaning of service, then Africa will have a different story to tell.
“Leadership in public service must focus on long-term impact rather than immediate gains. SO I urge public officials to ensure their decisions benefit future generations.”
Tunji-Ojo distinguished between leadership and statesmanship, saying while leaders often think about short-term achievements, statesmen focus on the next generation.
The minister stressed that Africa would not overcome underdevelopment, insecurity and economic challenges without addressing inefficiency within public institutions.
Citing reforms introduced in Nigeria’s immigration system, Tunji-Ojo said transformational leadership required breaking away from outdated systems and traditions.
He also highlighted the introduction of contactless passport renewal for Nigerians in the diaspora, which allows applicants to complete biometric verification using their mobile phones.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized that leaders should focus on building systems rather than seeking personal recognition, adding that the condition of institutions left behind defines a leader’s legacy.
He urged the 2025 cohorts to use the knowledge gained to transform Africa.
Also speaking , the Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said Nigeria does not lack intelligence or policy ideas but often struggles with implementation.
According to Aig-Imoukhuede, the focus of the foundation’s leadership programme is to strengthen the ability of public servants to implement reforms and translate ideas into measurable progress.
“The focus that we have is building the ability of the public service to implement reforms, to implement policy changes, to implement solutions, which requires a lot of skills, particularly skills of leadership.
” You can have somebody who passes all the necessary intellectual tests, but doesn’t have the character, doesn’t have the courage, doesn’t have the spirit of enterprise that is required to install a solution.”
Aig-Imoukhuede said those were the type of things that the Foundation was equipping civil servants and public servants within the programme to achieve.
” I think for me, one of the key lessons in interacting with public servants over a long time is that it is not for want of ability or want of intelligence that is keeping us back.
“It is turning our innate ability, our innate intelligence into real, tangible capacity, capacity to do the job,”he said.
In her remarks, the Executive Vice-Chair of the foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, said supporting public servants with training and resources was critical to improving governance outcomes across Africa.
“There is no greater honor than to serve the citizens of your nation.
“If we support public servants with capacity building and resources, they will be able to implement reforms that make life better for citizens,” she said.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, commended the initiative and urged participants of the programme to apply the knowledge gained to strengthen public institutions.
Walson-Jack, represented by Mrs Fatima Mahmood, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, OHCSF, noted that African public institutions face increasingly complex challenges that require innovative and accountable leadership.
“Programmes such as this play a critical role in equipping public officials with the skills and perspectives needed to deliver improved governance and better outcomes for citizens,” she said.(NAN)
