L-R: Ex- Minister of Information & Culture/Governorship Candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance in Enugu State, Frank Nweke Jr, CEO, School of Politics, Policy and Governance, Alero Ayida-Otobo, Founder SPPG/Convener FixPolitics, Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard and Yetunde Anibaba, Dean of SPPG Class of 22, during the graduation ceremony of the School of Politics, Policy & Governance Class of 2022 at Shehu Yar’dua center in Abuja

The School of Politics, Policy and Governance over the weekend held a graduation ceremony for 133 students for the 2022 academic year in Abuja.

According to a statement on Sunday, the ceremony, themed, ‘Designing Our Global Future with Africa in Mind,’ was held in a bid to produce the next generation of leaders with disruptive thinking.

Present at the event held at the Shehu Musa Yar’dua Centre, Abuja were the Chairman, FATE Foundation, Fola Adeola; a former Minister of Information and Culture, Frank Nweke Jnr.; and a former Minister of Education/Founder SPPG, Oby Ezekwesili, among others.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of SPPG, Alero Ayida-Otobo, said the institution was designed to transform the quality of political and public leadership in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

She disclosed that the 2022 graduating class comprised 133 students who underwent 10 intensive months of training and learning.

She said, “For the class of 2022, about 133 students are graduating. The pioneer class was 160 and they have gone through 10 intensive months of training and learning. They studied 140 topics and seven thematic areas. Research shows that there were certain gaps in the knowledge base of lots of public leaders. So, this is our contribution to building the knowledge base of future leaders and we are very pleased that we have 133 graduates.

“A lot of them are already doing great work. They are already community organisers serving at the community level and recruiting individuals that have the potential to be part of our community. We also have among them at least three that scale through the primaries conducted by parties.”

On her part, Ezekwesili blamed Nigeria’s leadership problem on a distorted political culture where leaders place personal interests above the public good.

She said, “What we found is that not just in Nigeria, but across Africa, there is a political culture that is distorted.

“It’s the political culture where those who are in public leadership subordinate the public good. That is the common good for their personal and narrow interests. And so, what it means is that the common good and public good are not served by people who should be serving. So, to correct that, you have to customise a new leadership mindset.

“So, the training that we gave at the School of Politics, Policy and Governance is one that has the content to reset the mindset of those who wish to lead in public service.”