Opinion editorial by Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede: Executive Vice-Chair of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation (www.AigImoukhuedeFoundation.org).
Promoting social change. Alleviating poverty. Educating people to take charge of their lives while positively impacting those around them. Philanthropic organisations are essential to transforming African lives and livelihoods (apo-opa.co/3QczDqf), but their impact depends on building the right partner networks. Currently, more international donor organisations – from multilateral development banks (apo-opa.co/3QgvCAW) to sovereign donors representing their country’s governments (apo-opa.co/3Qe28nm) – are bringing international funding to initiatives meant to spur African development. From small and medium enterprise development (apo-opa.co/4121LBw) to building the healthcare sector (apo-opa.co/4hUjuRQ), these donor partnerships are making great impact across the continent. However Africa cannot solely rely on foreign aid to shift the African narrative. In tandem with this international assistance, local governments and African philanthropists must find new ways to collaborate, and go beyond simple funding initiatives to close the gaps between Africa and the rest of the world.
The African Philanthropy Forum 2024 Conference
Towards the end of 2024, I was honoured by an invitation to speak on a panel at the annual African Philanthropy Forum Conference, to unpack the ways in which philanthropic organisations can accelerate transformation through strategic engagement with governments. In this discussion, the goal was to establish innovative ways the continent’s philanthropic sector can help build African economies, transform public service capabilities, and from our perspective at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, create a new generation of informed, empathic public sector officials committed to driving change.
The attainment of such ambitious goals are born of collaboration, which is why public-private partnerships (PPPs) will be key. By working together and leveraging their respective strengths, the public and private sectors can drive innovation, address complex challenges, and foster sustainable progress for the benefit of African citizens. As a public sector focused organisation, we at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation recognise that driving meaningful reform in this space requires empowering governments to more effectively deliver goods and services to citizens. At the core of our work is capacity building for public servants, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to lead and sustain reform initiatives. We adopt this approach because we know that for lasting change to occur, it is essential that public servants themselves drive reform initiatives, and do so with a sense of ownership. Ours is a role of providing technical support and funding to ensure these initiatives are not only impactful but also sustainable.
While all PPPs are inherently strategic partnerships, many primarily focus on funding and execution. There are, however, other ways in which strategic collaborations between the public and private sectors can facilitate economic and socioeconomic growth. While funding is essential, equally critical are skills training, research, and leadership development, key elements that boost the public sector’s ability to achieve sustainable progress.
The Power of Relationships in transforming Nigeria’s Civil Service
Building meaningful partnerships requires maintaining strong working relationships, which is why the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation remains committed to ongoing engagement with the Nigerian public sector to identify new opportunities for further collaboration. We believe the public sector has to focus on improving efficiency (https://apo-opa.co/3CN4Ixw) to enhance service delivery, especially as so many African public sector offices struggle with antiquated systems and personnel whose skills need updating.
This belief has been central to our work with Nigeria’s Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), which we have supported on its digital transformation journey since 2020. By helping the OHCSF digitise its records, automate all its previously manual work processes, achieve ISO 9001 certification, and digitally upskill its staff, we have become their trusted partner. The results of our collaboration have been remarkable; assessments from 2022 and 2023 show significant improvements in operational efficiency, cost reduction, and improved job performance, with at least 61% of civil servants in the office now more digitally able, due to digitalisation, workforce training  and the adoption of best practices.
The success of our collaboration with the OHCSF led to the development of a Digitalisation Manual, which now guides the digitalisation efforts of all the Federal Ministries in Nigeria. Additionally, we are also supporting a select number of ministries as they embark on their digitalisation journeys. The progress we have made was only possible because of the close working relationships we established with the civil servants we engage with and the visionary leadership of the Civil Service. Change is as much about people as it is about processes and so a critical part of our work involved fully understanding the people and the context we were dealing with and aligning our approach accordingly. Because we paid special attention to building relationships and to stakeholder management, we were able to earn the trust of the civil servants, which ensured their buy-in and commitment and facilitated our collaboration. It is through such engagements – and maintaining such important partnerships – that we can drive transformative change within the public sector. Â
Research and the Data-First Approach: Enabling Accountability Through Data
Research and data analysis, are fundamental to our work at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation. We have developed a strong evidence backed approach, using data to support our own capabilities and provide compelling insights on improving public service delivery. As the originators of the upcoming Nigeria Public Service Performance Index, being developed in partnership with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, our goal is to equip leaders with unbiased data-driven insights to help them build more resilient and efficient government institutions. The Index evaluates the performance of key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, assessing critical areas such as service delivery, citizen engagement, partnerships, accountability, and monitoring. By offering a comprehensive, evidence-based assessment of the public sector, the Index will serve as an invaluable tool to drive meaningful reform and enhance governance in Nigeria.
Skilled Leadership will Transform the Public Sector
While research, funding, and strong government partnerships are essential, real change is only possible with competent, ethical, and impact-driven leaders in the public sector. Therefore, one of our strategic goals at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is to build a critical mass of public sector leaders who have the skills, knowledge and tools they need to drive change in the public sector.
We have partnered with one of the world’s foremost public policy schools, the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, to develop a world class leadership training, the AIG Public Leaders Programme, focused on developing the leadership capabilities of Africa’s future public sector leaders. To date, we have trained over 240 African public servants and are adding to this number every year. Our other capacity building initiatives include the AIG Scholarship, AIG Fellowships as well as bespoke training for civil servants. Informed leaders are the catalysts of positive change. A core focus across our initiatives is shifting mindsets; encouraging leaders to embrace change through advocacy, education, and diplomacy.
Ultimately, by training, mentoring and mobilising public sector leaders, both present and future, we can accelerate Africa’s transformation from within. If there is one thing my time at the African Philanthropy Forum Conference showed me, it is that  Africa’s philanthropic sector holds immense power. However, we must strategically harness it to drive sustainable prosperity across the continent. Â
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.