Public Servants Must Deliver Reforms – Njoku

The director of Programmes at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Chioma Njoku, has said that Africa’s development challenge is not a lack of talent but the absence of strong institutional systems that enable public servants to deliver reforms and improve governance outcomes effectively.

Njoku stated this in Abuja yesterday during a high-level media engagement, stressing that the foundation had moved beyond conventional training programmes to building systems that empower public servants to drive sustainable public sector reforms across Nigeria and the African continent.

According to her, while African governments are home to capable and committed public servants, systemic barriers often prevent them from translating their skills and knowledge into meaningful results.

She noted that public servants across the continent are under increasing pressure to deliver better services, respond to emerging challenges, manage resources effectively, and drive long-term development in a rapidly changing world. However, she argued that strengthening individual capacity alone is insufficient to achieve lasting transformation.

“Africa does not have a talent problem. Walk into any ministry, government agency or public institution in Nigeria and across the continent, and you will find capable, committed people who understand what needs to change. What you will also find is that the system around them is often working against them,” Njoku said.

She explained that, for decades, capacity-building efforts have largely focused on training individuals through workshops and leadership programmes, under the assumption that improved skills would automatically lead to institutional transformation.

According to her, this approach has frequently fallen short because many trained public servants return to environments characterised by unclear mandates, fragmented authority, bureaucratic bottlenecks, delayed budget releases and competing political pressures.

Citing global development research, Njoku noted that institutions, systems, incentives and organisational culture play a decisive role in determining whether reforms succeed or fail.

“Training matters, but it is not the same as transformation,” she stated.

She identified weak institutional systems as one of the biggest obstacles to public sector reform across Africa, noting that responsibilities are often unclear, accountability structures are weak, and decision-making authority is disconnected from performance expectations.

“These conditions make it difficult for public servants to deliver results, regardless of their competence or commitment, consistently,” she said.

Njoku explained that the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has adopted a dual approach that focuses on strengthening both people and institutions.

She said the foundation works with public servants who have demonstrated a commitment to reform, helping them develop the leadership skills needed to navigate complex government environments, influence change and sustain reform efforts despite institutional resistance.

The foundation also partners directly with ministries, departments and agencies to strengthen governance systems, improve decision-making processes, enhance accountability mechanisms and promote collaboration across institutions.

“We work with institutions, not around them. A trained individual inside a dysfunctional system will eventually be absorbed by it. Sustainable reform requires strengthening the environment within which public servants operate,” she said.

Njoku further noted that the foundation treats real-world service delivery as a learning platform, arguing that the most valuable leadership lessons are acquired while addressing actual governance challenges rather than in traditional classroom settings.

She stressed that effective government leadership requires persistence, coalition-building, adaptability and the ability to drive progress in environments where authority is dispersed, and priorities frequently shift.

According to her, the foundation’s approach is influenced by problem-driven iterative adaptation, a reform methodology that encourages locally developed solutions rather than imported policy models.

She also cautioned against relying on a few exceptional individuals to drive transformation, arguing that sustainable progress depends on embedding good practices within institutions rather than around personalities.

“When transformation depends on a handful of exceptional people, it becomes fragile. What lasts is when strong performance becomes part of how institutions function, regardless of who occupies leadership positions,” she said.

Njoku observed that the need for stronger public institutions has become increasingly urgent as Africa faces rapid population growth, urbanisation, climate pressures and rising demands for transparency and effective governance.

Referencing the African Union’s Agenda 2063, she said achieving the continent’s long-term development aspirations would require public sector institutions capable of delivering results consistently and at scale.

She maintained that while leadership development remains important, sustainable reform can only be achieved when capable individuals operate within systems designed to support performance and accountability.

“At the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, we believe that if you want better outcomes from government, you must build better systems for the people inside it. Africa has never lacked capable people. What it needs are institutions strong enough to allow that capability to flourish,” she said.

Njoku reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to strengthening public institutions across the continent, saying the organisation would continue working to close the gap between Africa’s ambitions and its institutional capacity, “one institution, one leader, and one reform at a time.