Govt Reforms Must Outlive Political Leaders – Njoku

The Director of Programmes, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Chioma Njoku, has called for the institutionalisation of government reforms to ensure that policies and programmes survive changes in political leadership and address the plight of vulnerable Nigerians.

Njoku said sustainable reforms must be driven by strong institutions rather than individuals, stressing that lasting transformation of the public sector required continuity beyond the tenure of political officeholders.

She spoke at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, where she said government reforms must strengthen governance, improve people’s lives and transform institutions in Nigeria.

She said reform was not about an individual but about the system.

“Any government reform must therefore be institutional, not personal. It must continue from one administration to the next,” she said.

She explained that the playbook was developed to address major challenges undermining government reforms and affecting the lives of ordinary Nigerians, including institutional resistance, weak coordination, poor communication and lack of continuity.

She said the research also examined reform experiences in five African countries to identify successful approaches, challenges and lessons that could be adapted to Nigeria’s governance environment.

Njoku noted that reforms introduced without adequate consultation often faced resistance from affected stakeholders, emphasising the need for effective communication, stakeholder engagement and strategic change management to secure public support.

According to her, “Trying to reform everything at once does not work. Reformers must identify what needs to be done most urgently and build from there.”

She further stressed that meaningful institutional transformation required long-term commitment, noting that major reforms could take between 10 and 20 years to produce lasting results.

According to her, such timelines often extend beyond the four- or eight-year tenure of political officeholders, making institutional continuity essential to sustaining government policies and programmes.

She said the playbook also recognised the differences between federal and state governments in terms of budgets, institutional capacity, data availability and legislative responsibilities.

Njoku added that its development involved extensive research, examination of reform experiences across Africa and consultations with government leaders, federal and state officials, heads of agencies, public policy experts, academics and other stakeholders.

She said the initiative was designed to serve ministries, departments and agencies, state reform teams, civil society organisations, legislators, the media, development partners, students and researchers.

Njoku urged stakeholders to engage with the initiative, share experiences of successful and failed reforms, and hold institutions accountable for the implementation and outcomes of government policies.

Similarly, the Programmes Associate of the foundation, Godwin Ochube, said the initiative was aimed at strengthening public institutions and ensuring that reforms were sustained across successive administrations.

“Reform is long work. It takes 10 to 20 years. That is why it must be handed carefully from one set of reformers to the next,” he said.