Nigeria joins ACBF’s LEAPS programme to reshape public sector leadership

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has launched the leadership excellence in Africa’s public sector (LEAPS) programme, a flagship initiative aimed at improving public financial management across the continent.

Bakary Kone, senior advisor to Mamadou Biteye, executive secretary for strategy and partnerships at ACBF, said the initiative began in November 2024 across five countries.

According to Kone, the participating countries include Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Zimbabwe, where 89 senior public officials completed a six-month transformation journey that ended in June 2025.

“The feedback has been unanimous and inspiring: Leadership mindsets are shifting. Institutions are evolving. Impact is happening,” he said.

“And now, with great pride, we mark the official arrival of LEAPS in Nigeria—home to every one African out of six, Africa’s economic engine, and a critical player in shaping the continent’s public sector future.”

Kone said the programme will be delivered through a combination of self-paced online learning, group and individual coaching, mentorship by African public financial management (PFM) experts, and case studies on key issues.

He added that the design emphasises transformation and cross-sector collaboration, aiming to reimagine leadership in finance across ministries and countries.

Rodolphe Bance, head of economic and social governance at ACBF, said the programme is structured to achieve both personal and institutional outcomes.

Bance said participants will experience enhanced leadership abilities at the personal level, while institutions are expected to benefit from improved collaboration to boost public service delivery.

He said although policies have improved across the continent, development outcomes remain weak, which makes building strong human resource capacity essential to implementing policies effectively.

Adil Ababou, senior programme coordinator officer at the Gates Foundation, one of the programme’s sponsors, said LEAPS is unique in its focus on country ownership, allowing financial officials to determine their own goals and partnerships.

Ababou expressed hope that the programme would drive reforms in Nigeria’s public financial management over the next nine months.

‘A CALL TO REDEFINE NIGERIA’S PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERSHIP’

Lydia Jafiy, permanent secretary at the federal ministry of finance, said the LEAPS programme is more than a training session, describing it as a call to redefine public sector leadership in Nigeria.

Represented by Ibrahim Matazu, the ministry’s deputy director of international development fund, Jafiy said what distinguishes LEAPS is its focus on transformative leadership, which goes beyond technical skills.

“In Nigeria, a nation central to Africa’s economic and demographic landscape, the demand for visionary, innovative, and ethical leaders has never been greater,” she said.

“Our public service is the backbone of governance, tasked with delivering policies and services that uplift millions.

“The LEAPS Programme is designed to empower directorate-level officers like you with the skills, mindset, and strategic acumen to navigate complex challenges and catalyse sustainable development.”

Currently, the ACBF is partnering with the African Union Commission (AUC) and AUDA-NEPAD to implement the Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP), a $50 million initiative.