By| Helen Adeyi
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has declared that the true measure of leadership lies not in inherited systems but in the institutions and reforms leaders build for the future.
Tunji-Ojo made the statement on Thursday in Abuja at the Lake Green Hotel, while delivering the keynote address at the graduation ceremony of the 2025 cohort of the AIG Public Leaders Programme, is an offshoot of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
Addressing the graduating class, the minister stressed that Africa’s most valuable resource is its people rather than its natural wealth.
“The greatest asset of Africa is Africans. If we truly understand the meaning of service, Africa will have a different story to tell,” he said.
His keynote, titled “Transforming Africa’s Public Sector: Lessons in Visionary Leadership, Accountability and Economic Renewal,” focused on the need for bold reforms within government institutions across the continent.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized that the public sector remains the most powerful institution shaping the daily realities of citizens and determining national opportunities. According to him, public service is one of the highest honours, particularly in a country of over 240 million people like Nigeria.
He urged participants to pursue generational impact rather than short-term achievements.
“A leader thinks of the next meeting, but a statesman thinks of the next generation,” the minister said.
Leadership Defined by Legacy
In one of the defining moments of his speech, Tunji-Ojo told the graduating public officials that their legacy would be judged by the systems they build.
“Leadership is not about what you inherited. Leadership is about what you created,” he said.
He noted that many of Africa’s persistent challenges—such as insecurity, economic stagnation and underdevelopment—cannot be resolved without reforming inefficient public institutions.
Highlighting reforms under his leadership, the minister cited improvements within agencies under the Ministry of Interior, particularly the Nigeria Immigration Service.
According to him, the ministry inherited a backlog of more than 204,000 passport applications, some pending for as long as eight years. Through administrative reforms and improved efficiency, the backlog was cleared within two weeks.
Tunji-Ojo also pointed to the introduction of contactless passport application systems for Nigerians in the diaspora, allowing applicants to complete biometric verification and renew their passports remotely using mobile devices.
The minister said the reforms have significantly reduced bureaucratic delays and limited opportunities for corruption.
“If you want to reduce corruption, reduce human contact to the barest minimum,” he said.
He also highlighted the deployment of automated e-gates at Nigerian airports to streamline immigration processes and improve efficiency.
‘Be Allergic to Business as Usual’
Calling for a shift in mindset among public officials, Tunji-Ojo warned against the culture of maintaining outdated systems.
“If you want a legacy, you must be allergic to business as usual. Your code must be business unusual,” he said.
He added that many public sector failures are caused not by a lack of knowledge but by a lack of political will to implement difficult reforms.
Building Africa’s Next Generation of Leaders
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, described the programme as a strategic effort to strengthen public institutions across Africa.
“Africa’s future depends on the quality of leadership within its public institutions,” he said, urging participants to move beyond certificates and drive real institutional change.
“You are not here to manage the status quo. You are here to change it,” he told the graduates.
The programme, delivered in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, brings together high-potential public officials from across Africa to develop leadership and governance capacity.
During the ceremony, several participants were recognised for outstanding contributions to public service and innovation.
Volunteer Awards were presented to Timothy Soje and Ngozi Jessinta Akinbodewa, while Ebenezer Oladeinde received the Innovation Award. The Young Leader Award went to Akanimo Usoro Ernest of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Participants in the fifth cohort came from Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Nigeria, representing a new generation of reform-minded public officials across the continent.
In her closing remarks, Executive Vice Chair of the foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, described the minister’s address as a “masterclass in leadership,” urging participants to apply the lessons in their respective institutions.
Also speaking, Emily Jones, faculty member of the AIG Public Leaders Programme at the Blavatnik School of Government, noted that the selection process for the programme is highly competitive and designed to identify public servants with exceptional leadership potential.
She encouraged the graduates to keep the words “public” and “service” at the heart of their careers.
“Ultimately, your duty is to serve the citizens of your country and to do right by them,” she said.
