A blunt message was delivered to 40 chief executives of federal agencies in Lagos on Tuesday: stop confusing activity with progress. The Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, known as ASCON, kicked off a mandatory training program designed to force a shift from talk to tangible outcomes.
The program, held at ASCON’s campus in Topo, Badagry, brought together heads of parastatals for an intensive leadership session. ASCON Director-General Funke Femi Adepoju set the tone, describing the training as a strategic platform to turn government policies into measurable results. She made it clear this wasn’t optional. The training, backed by presidential approval and a circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, is a requirement before chief executives can fully assume their duties.
Adepoju emphasized that the program’s theme, ‘Leadership for Policy Execution: From Mandate to Measurable Results’, targets the chronic gap between policy creation and real-world implementation. She stressed that results-based management, accountability, and institutional discipline are non-negotiable for improving service delivery. The jump in attendance from 14 chief executives in the previous cohort to 40 now, she said, signals a growing commitment to leadership excellence within the federal public service.
Representing the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretary Nkiruka Jones-Nebo issued a direct challenge. She told the executives to stop mistaking movement for progress and to focus on execution, not just planning. “Leadership should be measured by outcomes, not activities,” she said. She also drove home the power of example: “If you show discipline, your personnel will show discipline. If you show integrity, your personnel will show integrity.”
Jones-Nebo called for stronger collaboration among agencies, arguing that no institution can succeed in isolation. She urged participants to return to their organizations with a renewed focus on performance and citizen-centered governance.
Participants echoed the urgency. Nigerian Shippers’ Council Executive Secretary Akutah Pius Ukeyima said the opening session offered a clear picture of what is expected of them. University of Benin Teaching Hospital Managing Director Prof. Ize-Iyanmu Idia described ASCON as an ideal environment for strategic thinking and leadership growth.
