Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Empowers Permanent Secretaries to Drive Efficiency in Civil Service

Peter Uzoho

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has organised a leadership programme for Federal Permanent Secretaries in Abuja, as part of its contribution to deepen public sector reforms and ensure increased effectiveness and integrity in government.

The Foundation, a public sector-focused philanthropic organisation founded to improve the lives of Africans through transformed public service delivery and increased access to quality primary healthcare, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

Through its partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, the Foundation offers world class training programmes to public servants across Africa, empowering them with the skills and knowledge they need to be more effective in their roles.

One such capacity-building programme, was the AIG Senior Leaders Programme, for Permanent Secretaries held in Abuja.

The programme allowed participants to draw on their collective experience and the expertise of the programme faculty from the University of Oxford, to explore strategies to deepen public sector reforms for increased effectiveness and integrity in government.

According to the statement, key learning points from the programme included entrenching integrity in recruitment processes and efficiency in decision-making processes.

Additionally, a roadmap was developed to ensure a smooth administrative transition when new Ministers are appointed.

Speaking after the conclusion of the programme, the Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said: “Federal Permanent Secretaries play a critical role in driving national development and it was our honour to develop this programme with the University of Oxford, to support the Permanent Secretaries as they prepare for the upcoming administrative transition.

“This AIG Senior Leaders Programme is part of our multibillion Naira commitment to supporting the reform efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and building the capacity of the public sector workforce so that they can drive these reforms.’’

The statement disclosed that since inception, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has trained over 400 public servants through various initiatives including the AIG Public Leaders Programme, the AIG Scholarships and the AIG Fellowships, all run in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. 

Through its partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Foundation also provides technical assistance and funding for key reform priorities of the Nigerian Civil Service including digitalisation, the introduction of a performance management system and a culture change programme aimed at instilling the right values in the Civil Service.