Nigeria has joined six other African countries in launching the Leadership Excellence in Africa’s Public Service (LEAPS) Programme, a continent-wide initiative aimed at transforming leadership in the public sector through ethical, strategic, and innovative governance.
The programme, coordinated by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), is a response to Africa’s increasing need for dynamic and visionary leadership capable of driving sustainable development and improving governance outcomes. With this launch, Nigeria joins Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Zimbabwe in a shared effort to redefine public service leadership across the continent.
Speaking at the launch, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Lydia Jafiya, highlighted the programme’s focus on developing high-level leadership capacity. She noted that LEAPS targets senior civil servants at the directorate level, equipping them with the mindset and strategic skills necessary for impactful governance.
“LEAPS empowers officers with the mindset and strategic skills to drive sustainable development,” she said.
The initiative builds on a successful pilot in Zimbabwe in 2024, with training modules centred around strategic thinking, ethical decision-making, and public sector innovation. It is designed to challenge conventional leadership practices and promote forward-thinking solutions to Africa’s development challenges.
A representative from the Ministry’s leadership, speaking at the event, encouraged participants to move beyond traditional leadership models to improve service delivery and national performance.
Bakary Kone, Senior Advisor at ACBF, stressed the importance of investing in human capital as a means to achieve transformational change. “This programme is about investing in people, potential, and purpose-driven leadership,” he stated.
The LEAPS Programme signals a strategic shift towards building a more agile, ethical, and inclusive public service in Nigeria, in line with the country’s broader development agenda. As more African countries join the initiative, LEAPS is expected to foster cross-border learning, leadership collaboration, and a new era of governance rooted in accountability and innovation.
