Alhaji Aliyu Danesi, Secretary of the South-South Monarchs Forum, has stressed the need for innovative leadership to usher Nigeria into enviable heights in all global spheres.
Danesi, the Oba Idanesi-11, Aidonogie of South Ibie Kingdom, said this in his address at the book launch, awards and dinner titled: “Disruptive leadership; a necessity of the now”, on Saturday night in Abuja.
The event was organised by the pioneering students of Masters in Philosophy (MPHIL), Leadership and Strategic Studies, NDA Course 1.
Danesi said: “You should be an innovative leader, you should not be a slave to procedure, to how things are being done, the fact remains that life changes every day.
“Few years ago we were analogue, now we are digital, few years ago we had landlines, but now there is a telephone in everybody’s hand.
“Things are evolving and we need leaders who can change things as life progresses, we cannot be static, not only do we need disruptive leaders, we also need disruptive electorates.
“If the electorates are disruptive they will be able to identify those leaders who have the competence to be disruptive in their leadership role and elect them.
“Not leaders who talk about ethnicity, religion and money, those are not functions of an effective leader; an effective leader has innate capacity to drive things, not necessarily through procedures to achieve desired goals.”
In his keynote address, Prof. Adams Ahmed, the Provost, Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), said that the programme is basically designed to tackle problems that surround leadership in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.
“Leadership problem cuts across the continent, wherever you go there is leadership deficit or overdose, it depends on the perspective one will look at it.
“The pioneering students have undergone courses and training that will assist them in doing better in things they have been doing, which is actually the target of the programme.
“The aim is whatever you are doing you can do better from a theoretical to practical perspective. You train the leader and the leader goes and impart on the society,” Ahmed said.
Similarly, Dr Bem Audu, the Director, Centre for Centre for Leadership of NDA, said that 82 persons enrolled for the Academy’s maiden MPHIL Leadership and Strategic Course 1.
He said that the course 1 qualified the graduates to start their Doctorate degree in Leadership and Strategic programme in the academy.
“We graduated over 82 students in the studies that is first of its kind in Nigeria; we have taught them about leadership and what it entails and challenges that come with it.
“We are hoping that as they practice in different fields of endeavours, they will definitely be a change, what we need globally is people to inspire others to achieve greatness.
“This comes with influence; a leader must have influence, which is what we taught them over the years, we also hope people who are conscious of influence in society experience positive change,” Audu said.
Meanwhile, the Book Reviewer, Prof. Saheed Zakari, explained that it comprised 72 chapters with a total of 1,282-pages in two volumes.
According to him, volume-one contained 37 chapters, while volume two contained 35 chapters.
“Volume one of the books is divided into three sections; namely, History, Leadership and Governance, Military, Leadership and Security Issues, and Strategic Leadership and Development.
“The volume two has five sections; namely, Leadership and Conflict Management, Leadership and International Relations, Emerging Issues in Leadership, Corporate Leadership, Indigenous Leadership and Local Administration,” he said.
The event attracted governors, ministers, lawmakers, Director-General of NYSC, Commandant of NDA, Reinhard Eckert, Finance Manager of GIZ-ECOWAS.
High points of the event were book review sessions, presentations of award of excellence to distinguished personalities, cultural display and comedy.
