Rwanda Retreat: Nigerian Governments Discuss Complex Issues

By Parrot Mouth Blog / August 26, 2023

The Nigerian governors will attend and participate in a three-day leadership retreat in Kigali, Rwanda, designed to provide a platform for public officials to collectively reflect, learn, and share perspectives on effective leadership and complex challenges.

The retreat, which is organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), will provide participants with enhanced leadership skills, knowledge, and the mindset necessary to cultivate the leading of others. This information was made available to journalists by the NGF media department.

According to UNDP’s Lealem Berhand Dinku in the invitation letter, the retreat is part of the organization’s commitment to improving governance in Africa and other regions of the globe. By emphasizing experiential learning, exploration, and reflection, according to Dinku, participants will be endowed with the necessary skills and competencies to lead in environments that are highly complex and uncertain.

“In today’s dynamic world, the multitude of megatrends – ranging from invisible threats to democratic governance, the impact of an increasingly digital and innovation-driven society, a looming job crisis, a growing youth population with an elusive youth dividend, the rapid pace of urbanisation, a highly globalised world, and rising climate change – pose immense challenges for African nations.

“A novel approach to leadership is required to transform these obstacles into opportunities.

This necessitates the cultivation of skills that facilitate attentiveness and self-awareness. These competencies are essential for ensuring that leaders can comprehend, lead, and make informed decisions for the benefit of their constituents, according to the UN agency.

“Effective leadership is indispensable for navigating the complexities of the emerging global order. State governors will play crucial roles in shaping their states’ and the nation’s futures. This proposed programme intends to equip them with the necessary leadership skills to lead with excellence, promote inclusive governance, drive innovation, establish collaborative relationships, and address emerging challenges. By investing in leadership development, we can equip them to lead the transformation of their respective states and, subsequently, Nigeria.

Sessions on’re-imagining and exploring the future of Nigeria,’ ‘opportunities and challenges of contemporary leadership in a ‘new’ world,’ and ‘the future of development as influenced by digital transformation, big data, disruptive innovation, and emerging technologies’ will be facilitated by facilitators of international renown.

Governors Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, and Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, former President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, senior minister and special adviser to the prime minister of Ethiopia Arkebe Oqubay, among others, are scheduled to speak at the retreat.