Patrick Achi Calls for Skilled, Accountable Leadership to Tackle Africa’s Development Challenges

 

By Atlantic Reports

Mr Patrick Achi, Speaker of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, has called for stronger investment in leadership development to help translate Africa’s natural resources and human talent into better living conditions.

Speaking on Saturday in Abuja at the 2026 graduation ceremony of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), Achi said emerging leaders needed knowledge, practical skills and a commitment to public service to address the continent’s development challenges.

The ceremony was themed “Breaking the Monopoly: Building Nigeria’s New Political Leadership Pipeline”.

Achi said character, competence and capacity were essential to effective governance. He argued that Africa’s resource wealth alone could not resolve its development problems without capable leadership and active citizen participation.

He urged graduates to regard leadership as a responsibility to serve people and advance the common good.

Achi also commended SPPG’s approach to preparing aspiring leaders, saying the institution helped bridge knowledge gaps and equipped students to understand governance problems and develop practical solutions.

Banda Challenges Barriers to Women’s Participation

Former Malawi President Joyce Banda called for political institutions to create greater opportunities for women, young people, professionals and reform-minded citizens outside established political networks.

She said women were often relied upon to organise political movements but excluded when influential positions were allocated.

“Too often women are mobilised, relied upon, and used to build political movement, only to be pushed aside when positions of influence and decision-making are allocated,” she said.

Banda urged women to pursue leadership rather than wait for invitations, stressing that their participation was necessary for an inclusive society.

She said political leadership should be accessible to citizens with the competence and character to serve, including those without connections to traditional political families.

Ezekwesili Urges Graduates to Apply Their Training

SPPG Founder and former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, congratulated the graduates and challenged them to turn their education into practical contributions to governance.

She said the school had graduated more than 1,000 students across Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya since 2021.

Ezekwesili described its multidisciplinary programme as a response to weaknesses in public leadership, particularly gaps in character and the competence required to develop sound policies.

She said SPPG would continue to monitor its graduates and could revoke certificates if they failed to uphold the institution’s values. Her remarks did not explain the procedures for assessing breaches or taking such action.

Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, overall best graduating student Mr Merit Ayigbe thanked the founder, management and faculty, alongside the families who supported students during their studies.

He pledged that the class would work collectively towards improving Nigeria and the wider continent.

The ceremony also featured a saxophone performance by Miss Temilayo Abodunrin and spoken-word poetry by Ms Esinet Kolade.

Across the addresses, speakers placed public service, competence and broader political participation at the centre of their expectations for the graduates. The next task is to translate that training into decisions and actions that benefit communities.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.