The Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI) has commenced an intensive long-vacation training for school principals for its Advanced Certificate in School Leadership and Management (ACSLM) programme.
In a press statement released after the orientation programme over the weekend by Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola, the training facilitator and chairman of the OOLI Special Management Advisory Group (OSMAG), the training took off with its first cohort of Principals and Vice-Principals from Ogun and Oyo States.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the founder of OOLI and chairman of its Governing Board, addressed the participants at the orientation programme and emphasised the important role principals play in the education sector, especially in the development of good character, morals, and skills in young people.
He noted that children spend more time in their care than in their parents’ care; hence, principals and teachers are powerful forces in shaping children’s lives in desired directions.
He said, “You are saddled with extraordinary responsibility, and you should discharge this creditably and satisfactorily. This training programme by OOLI has been specially packaged to assist you in achieving this goal”.
In his welcome address, the Director of OOLI, General (rtd) Martin Luther Agwai, noted that “the training programme is fully aligned with OOLI’s core objective: to equip leaders at every level with the insight, values, and skills required to drive change in complex environments. Through this programme, you are embarking on a journey that is as personal as it is national in its scope.
According to him, “ as we respond to the ever-evolving landscape of education, we recognise that the role of school principals is not just about managing classrooms but about steering educational ecosystems.
“Today’s principals are strategic leaders who must contend with a range of complex demands-from governance and school safety, to fostering innovation and creating inclusive learning environments.”
The course facilitator, Professor Emeritus Peter A. Okebukola, informed participants that the topics to be covered in the training emerged from a national survey of school principals’ training needs.
According to Okebukola, “OOLI deploys the global best practice of first finding out the training needs of potential trainees before developing the training curriculum. This is followed by the development of the training materials and then the implementation of the training programme. That way, OOLI will be meeting the needs of trainees rather than conjecturing what their needs would be.”
He said the topics to be covered for the eight weeks include Attributes of Successful School Principals, history, Current Development, and Future of Secondary Education in Nigeria, managing school safety and security, strategic planning and vision setting for secondary schools, financial management and budgeting, and resource allocation and utilisation.
Others are; Record-keeping and data management; Promoting effective teaching and learning practices; Monitoring and evaluation of student performance; Managing student behaviour and discipline; Building partnerships with parents and the community; Fundraising and resource mobilisation; Collaborating with government and non-governmental organisations; Handling community-related challenges and expectations; Compliance with national and state educational regulations, amongst others.
Okebukola further noted that the training will be case-study driven, hybrid in delivery mode and practical oriented. “The holders of the prestigious ACSLM of OOLI will come out loaded with knowledge and skills in leading schools that will stand out as models for others in Nigeria and in Africa in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and quality of secondary school leavers.”
Twenty-five resource persons, including highly rated Professors of Leadership and Educational Management and retired school principals with excellent service records, are among the training’s resource persons.
