The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation held its 2026 Public Sector Reform Convening in Lagos on October 14, bringing together reform leaders and alumni from across Africa to tackle persistent implementation challenges. The event, themed "Unblocking Reform: From Design to Delivery," focused on why many well-designed reforms stall and how to overcome these barriers.
Keynote Highlights Capacity Gaps and Leadership Demands
Lagos State Head of Service Olabode Shuageeb Agoro delivered the keynote address, warning that capacity gaps cannot be resolved by simply repeating instructions to staff. He argued that many reform efforts falter not because of outright opposition but because of gaps in skills, resources, or understanding among those expected to carry them out.
"A capacity gap cannot be resolved by repeating an instruction. Leaders must communicate the purpose of reforms, align institutions around their objectives, provide the resources and capabilities required for implementation, and ensure that accountability continues long after implementation," Agoro said. "People always feel better if they are carried along. Nobody wants to feel that they don't matter. So it is always important to engage at all levels."
Foundation Analysis Identifies Key Success Factors
The convening drew on an analysis of alumni reform projects that flagged stakeholder engagement, communication, organisational culture, and collaboration as the factors most commonly determining whether a reform succeeds or stalls at the implementation stage. Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice Chair of the Foundation, told attendees that reform leadership must go beyond good design and engage with the institutional realities that shape how change actually unfolds on the ground.
"This is not to suggest that every objection to reform is unreasonable or that resistance can simply be overcome through better communication. Rather, effective reform leadership requires an understanding of institutional contexts, a willingness to listen to those affected and a deliberate effort to build the support necessary for implementation," she said, according to a statement sent to Legit.ng.
Hands-On Sessions Foster Practical Strategies
Beyond the formal sessions, the programme included a panel on building buy-in and coalitions for reform, an in-conversation session with experienced reform leaders, and two hands-on components: a Reform Reality Check and a Reform Solutions Lab. During the lab, participants worked in multidisciplinary groups to produce practical strategies for stakeholder engagement, organisational support, and collaborative action.
The Foundation said the convening forms part of its wider effort to build its alumni network into a sustained platform for peer learning and strategic dialogue, ensuring that public sector reforms across the continent move from well-crafted plans to measurable improvements in citizens' lives.
Related Criticism of Public Sector Standards
In a related development, a former corps marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, said that Nigeria has continued to lower the standards of recruitment and promotion processes in the public service. He said the quota system does not mean lowering standards, arguing that the recruitment and promotion of public servants in the public sector should be merit-based.
