A two-day capacity building for stakeholders on leadership colloquium on Monday 17 September 2012 commenced at the Paradise Suites Hotel with the objective of bringing about positive change in the areas we are leading, a training organised and supported by the Institute for National Transformation, an institution working in nine countries in Africa and abroad.
According to organizers, their vision is to develop value grounded, to excuse leaders that will transform their organization, communities and nations to greater levels of performance and achievement. The forum that brought together various stakeholders from the media, economics, and other sectors to focus on key areas that have the passion to transform from average to great performance.
In his lectures Mr Philip Igbinijesu, West Africa Regional Director at the Institute for National Transformation, said many formerly third countries such as Japan, Korea, Singapore and India have transformed their economies and nations to first world operational standards through strict practice and adherence to integrity leadership and quality management principles.
According to him, for Africa to advance beyond its current state of social and economic malaise, she must follow the Singapore model by establishing a rigorous and aggressive programme of developing disciplined leaders of disciplined thought who will guide disciplined and strategic action towards a morally and socially responsible Africa. While our friends around the globe will support, assist and encourage us and in the final analysis Africans must rise up and develop their continent.
To achieve this, the institute is targeting nine spheres of the society for training on integrity leadership and quality management principles and this includes the government, education, business, Arts and Culture, music and entertainment, sports, social services, communication and news media and religious sectors.
For his part, Bayo James, INT Gambia National Representative, said in statement that the increasing complexity of issues being addressed by contemporary African leaders is putting extraordinary demands on government officials, academic and business professionals as they struggle to deal with cross-cutting issues on the local, state, national, and regional levels, as they relate to, among others, policy formulations, legislation, regulation and monitoring, justice, natural resources management, transportation, provision of urban and social services, environmental protection, sustainable agriculture, sustainable tourism, leading ultimately to sustainable economic growth.
He said further that the world is crying out for leaders that model integrity, excellence, compassion and responsibility. The vision of the Institute for National Transformation (INT) is to develop “no excuse” leaders of integrity and exceptional organizational skills from both the private and public sectors throughout the world that will proffer performance instead of pronouncements; expertise and competence instead of title and position; bold developmental initiatives instead of seeking handouts; respect and honour for our people instead of control and abuse; and leave legendary positive impact in the continent instead of failures and excuses.
Mr Larry Oguego of INT Enugu, who also presented a lecture, said that with the increasing population of Africa, currently estimated at 800 million, it is extremely important and strategic that current and future generation of African workers, managers, and leaders, who would have to lead Africa out of her predicaments, be exposed to responsible, high integrity leadership and high-quality management principles to preserve gains made so far by past administrations.
“If you have the passion to transform your organization, communities, and/or nation from average to great performance, then you need to change weak minds sets to stronger ones through exposure to superior leadership and management paradigm systems,” Mr Larry.
“Through a transformed leadership and management system, there will be a transformed organization, transformed nation and a transformed African continent.”
