‎BPSR, KAS Launch Leadership Reform Programmes for MDAs

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‎The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) have launched a leadership reform programme targeting newly-appointed boards of federal agencies, commissions, and parastatals.
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‎The high-level induction workshop, scheduled for early August in Abuja, will bring together over 50 participants including board chairmen, CEOs, and senior officials from major government institutions to reset leadership culture and foster synergy between boards and executive management.
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‎In a statement on Thursday, Head of Strategic Communication at BPSR, Aliyu Umar stated, “This is not just another training; it’s a crucial intervention to prevent future leadership crises, ensure policy continuity, and foster synergy between agency boards and their executive management.”
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‎The two-day workshop is themed “Strengthening the Capacity of CEOs, Chairmen and Members of the Board of Federal Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions on Organizational Effectiveness and Corporate Governance.”
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‎It aims to tackle issues such as structural dysfunction, unclear reporting lines, ethical lapses, and leadership rivalries that have stalled reforms and weakened service delivery.
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‎Participants will be drawn from agencies including the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and over a dozen others.
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‎Others expected at the workshop include top officials from the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), National Social Investment Trust Fund (NSITF), and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), among others.
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‎“This is about resetting the tone from the top. If boards and CEOs don’t understand one another or have conflicting mandates, it trickles down to the entire agency and stalls performance. This training can help prevent that,” the statement added.
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‎For BPSR, the initiative is part of its wider effort to build a modern, efficient, and accountable public service.
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‎“We want to ensure a shared understanding of roles, strong ethical foundations, clear communication, and a unified strategic vision,” it added.
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‎Tailored modules will expose participants to international best practices in governance and ethics, while adapting lessons to fit Nigeria’s administrative realities.
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‎For many agencies, this will be the first time their new boards and executives are brought together to clarify boundaries and align goals.
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‎Observers in Nigeria’s reform space have welcomed the move. They say the initiative is long overdue and essential for ending the frequent board-management conflicts that follow leadership appointments.
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‎By collaborating with KAS—an experienced partner in democratic and institutional reforms—BPSR is sending a strong message about its commitment to professionalism and systemic change.
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‎“This is one reform that speaks directly to the roots of leadership failure,” the BPSR official said. “And it offers a clear path forward.”
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