BLESSING OMALE, Abuja
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has announced the opening of applications for the sixth cohort of its flagship AIG Public Leaders Programme (AIG PLP), a six-month executive education initiative aimed at strengthening reform-driven leadership across Africa’s public sector.
Delivered in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, the programme is designed to equip high-potential public servants with the strategic insight, institutional understanding and global networks required to drive meaningful reforms within African governments.
Applications are open to qualified public servants from all English-speaking African countries and will close on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The sixth cohort is scheduled to commence in October 2026.
Since its launch in 2021, the programme has built a strong reputation for measurable impact. Alumni have collectively designed and implemented more than 230 reform projects across ministries, departments and agencies throughout Africa.
These initiatives span critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, agriculture and education, demonstrating the programme’s cross-sector relevance and institutional reach.
An impact survey conducted by the Foundation showed that 62 percent of alumni earned promotions or assumed expanded leadership responsibilities following their participation.
The findings underscore the programme’s role not only in advancing careers but also in deepening institutional influence and reform capacity within public service systems.
Speaking on the opening of applications, Executive Vice-Chair of the Foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, said the initiative was developed in response to the increasing complexity of governance challenges on the continent.
She noted that across Africa, public sector challenges demand more than good intentions, requiring reformers who understand systems, can navigate institutional realities and are equipped to implement sustainable change.
According to her, the AIG PLP was specifically designed to meet that need by investing in people capable of translating policy into practical transformation.
One of the programme’s alumni, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, developed and launched a secure self-reporting tool that enables survivors of domestic and sexual abuse to safely document incidents and preserve evidence.
The digital platform allows survivors to access support services while safeguarding critical documentation until legal action can be pursued.
The initiative stands as one of the many reform projects already reshaping service delivery within public institutions.
The AIG Public Leaders Programme adopts a blended learning model that combines virtual sessions with an intensive residential module at Oxford.
Selected participants are fully sponsored by the Foundation, which covers tuition, accommodation and feeding during the residential component.
Participants engage directly with world-class faculty and explore core governance themes, including negotiating in the public interest, harnessing digital technology for governance, strengthening public organisations and upholding integrity in public life.
The programme culminates in a capstone reform project that requires participants to apply their learning to a real-world institutional challenge.
This practical focus ensures that knowledge gained during the six-month engagement translates into actionable solutions within participants’ respective organisations.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply early through the Foundation’s official website ahead of the April 12 deadline.
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