Global Changes: NILDS Director General Urges Institutions To Embrace New Leadership Approaches

Director general of the the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has said the rapidly changing global environment, technological advancement, rising demands for accountability, complex security challenges and the emergence of artificial intelligence require institutions to move beyond conventional approaches to leadership.

Sulaiman said this in his remarks atwa four-day International Executive Leadership Course for members of the NILDS Governing Council, organsied by the institute’s Centre for Advanced Executive Education Programme (CAEEP) in Marrakech, Morocco.

The programme, themed: “Strategic Leadership and Institutional Readiness for Legislative Excellence: Interrogating Topical Issues on Nigeria’s Democratic Development,” is designed to strengthen strategic leadership, institutional capacity and readiness for excellence in Nigeria’s legislative and democratic development.

The ongoing programme brings together members of the National Assembly and other key stakeholders, with Senator Victor Umeh representing the President of the Senate and Chairman of the NILDS Governing Council, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The director general said the programme was not merely an opportunity to take a break from Abuja but a platform for participants to “think, reflect, learn, interrogate and prepare” for the challenges confronting Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

He emphasised the strategic role of the Governing Council as the highest policy organ of NILDS, noting that its responsibilities extend beyond routine institutional supervision to providing the strategic direction, relevance, and ambition of the Institute.

According to him, the quality of decisions taken by the Council has implications not only for NILDS but also for the capacity of the National Assembly to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities.

He stressed that strategic leadership must focus not only on managing institutions but also on anticipating change, shaping it and positioning institutions to remain relevant.

Sulaiman noted that while every democracy has its own history and political realities, countries could learn from universal principles of effective institutions, including professionalism, innovation, institutional memory, continuous capacity development, public engagement, effective use of technology and institutional adaptability.

He also highlighted the importance of the programme in the context of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, stressing the need for NILDS to begin preparations early to support the National Assembly through the electoral transition.

According to him, the Institute must be ready to contribute to the induction and orientation of new legislators, preserve institutional knowledge and support continuity by equipping legislators with an understanding of parliamentary procedures, legislative processes, oversight responsibilities and the constitutional framework.

“Institutional readiness cannot be achieved at the last minute. It requires foresight, planning, coordination and strategic leadership,” he said, while emphasising the importance of the Governing Council’s guidance in achieving this objective.

The programme features resource persons drawn from Nigeria and other parts of the world, offering participants diverse perspectives and expertise on governance, democracy, legislative development and institutional leadership.

Among the resource persons are the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed; Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Senator Ita Enang; former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Reforms, Professor Attahiru Jega and Professor Zakaria Garno of the Institute of Legal and Political Sciences, Euromed University, among others.