The five-day Executive Training on Organisational Performance Enhancement: Integrating Problem Solving, Sustainable Leadership and Artificial Intelligence Innovation for Executives and Board Members, organised by Prospects Development Services PDS-United Kingdom, in collaboration with the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), concluded in London on Friday with participants committing to translate the knowledge acquired into practical reforms across their institutions.
The closing ceremony marked not only the end of an intensive week of learning but also the beginning of a coordinated effort to strengthen organisational performance through leadership development, innovative problem-solving approaches and the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence.
SolaceBase reports that participants drawn from youths with leadership focus within the ages of 18- 35 years, headship and managerial leadership of universities, government ministries and WOFAN’s international internship programme pledged to cascade the knowledge gained to colleagues within their organisations, creating a multiplier effect that would extend the benefits of the training beyond those who attended.
As part of the implementation strategy, WOFAN announced that it would follow up on the established monitoring framework to track the progress of each participating group and assess how the programme’s lessons are being applied within their respective institutions.
Read Also:WOFAN, UK partner empower youths with AI, EI skills to drive job creation, food security
One of the immediate outcomes of the training is an agreement by participants from Bayero University, Kano, Capital City University and Northwest University, Kano, to organise a one-day workshop on organisational performance enhancement, leadership and artificial intelligence for the headship of various segments of their universities in collaboration with WOFAN.
The initiative is expected to acquaint more university staff with emerging AI tools and leadership practices that can enhance organisational performance and decision-making processes, while promoting institutional innovation and Inclusivity.
The internship participants, comprising postgraduate students from different countries such as Turkiye, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc, also resolved to continue developing their leadership capacities and deepen their knowledge of artificial intelligence to enhance their leadership journeys.
They expressed appreciation to WOFAN for the opportunity and pledged to remain engaged with the organisation’s future capacity-building initiatives.
Participants from government ministries are equally committed to introducing the concepts of organisational performance enhancement, AI-driven productivity and problem-solving techniques within their various ministries to improve service delivery.
In her closing remarks, the Group Board Chair and Global Advocate of WOFAN, Hajiya Dr Salamatu Garba, described the five-day programme as an intensive and rewarding learning experience that brought together participants, especially young, dynamic youths, with a shared vision of strengthening leadership capacity and transforming workplaces through innovation.
Read Also:WOFAN, CDA launch SIBLING initiative in BUK, distribute 560 bags of rice within the university environs
Dr. Garba also revealed plans to establish a WOFAN Alumni Network for all its international professional development programmes so that it would bring together beneficiaries of the organisation’s various training programmes to encourage continuous learning, collaboration and mentorship.
She explained that the deliberate inclusion of university vice-chancellors in the training was aimed at ensuring that the knowledge gained would be institutionalised through staff development programmes and replicated across Nigerian universities. She expressed profound appreciation to Prospects Development Services for partnering with WOFAN to deliver the programme and paid special tribute to the facilitators for their inspiring and practical presentations.
Speaking on behalf of the participating Vice-Chancellors, the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Professor Haruna Musa, described the training as highly impactful and intellectually enriching.
He observed that developing countries such as Nigeria require stronger collaboration among academia, industry and government, noting that the programme had reinforced the importance of the Triple Helix model in addressing contemporary development challenges.
Professor Musa commended the facilitators for delivering practical and evidence-based sessions and expressed optimism about future advanced courses on artificial intelligence.
He expressed profound appreciation to Dr Salamatu Garba for her visionary leadership, invaluable contributions and results-driven strategy, which he said were instrumental to the successful organisation of the programme and its anticipated long-term impact.
Chairman of the Technical Advisory Board of WOFAN, Professor Sani Miko, said the programme had significantly enhanced the capacity of participants from universities, government ministries and the internship programme.
According to him, the leadership component would strengthen strategic decision-making among senior university administrators, including vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors and governing council members, while the artificial intelligence sessions would enable institutions to streamline workflows, improve efficiency, reduce operational costs and optimise the use of available resources.
Professor Miko noted that participants had been assigned practical post-training responsibilities, particularly the obligation to transfer the knowledge acquired to colleagues within their organisations, thereby ensuring a sustainable multiplier effect.
The program, which is certified and endorsed by the Chartered Management Institute of London, was monitored by inspectors of the institute during the training.
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is a professional institution for management based in the United Kingdom, founded as the British Institute of Management (BIM) in 1947, which merged with the Institution of Industrial Managers (IIM) in 1992 to form the Institute of Management (IM), and gained a royal charter and its present name in 2002.
