Two leading public service veterans and policy analysts, Chief Odein Henry Ajumogobia, SAN and Canada based Dr. Femi Ogunrinde have given tailored insights on how and why board members of public institutions fail to make developmental impacts in Africa and mainly in Nigeria.
Speaking as leading Keynote speakers at the first-ever virtual symposium organized by the Centre for Public Sector Governance (CPSG) today, with the theme: “Reimagining Public Sector Boards: Global Insights for Africa’s Transformation,” both professionals and experienced board members said the major challenge of Nigerian public institutions board members stemmed from their model of appointment which had always been via political affiliation than merit and professional considerations.
Taking the stage first from his office in Canada, Dr. Ogunrinde, DHA, C.Dir, ASC, FACHDM—an internationally respected governance architect with more than 30 years of experience across Canada and Africa, averred that “For boards’ members of Nigerian public institutions to deliver good results, their tenure must be by merit and free from political considerations”.
According to him, “There must be protected process of appointments that come from screening for competence, integrity and performance”.
He argued for guaranteed appointment processes, guaranteed tenure to give ample room and space for quality service delivery for the public institutions.
Adding flavor to the observations of Dr. Ogunrinde, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Ajumogobia insisted that in so far that majority of board appointments in Africa and Nigeria in particular are majorly based on political affiliations rather than professional competence, mediocre service delivery will continue to be the order of the day.
According to him, due to many board appointments are politically based, grabbing instead of guiding for better boosts in public institutions’ productivity have con t9nued to be the results.
Ajumogobia argued that good governance which is the key target of board members job in public institutions can only be manifest when political gangsterism is given the back seat and competence plus merit are considered in appointing public institutions’ board members who will come to deliver well-throughout development ideas and sustainable progress of the institutions.
The sources recalls that the 2025 symposium builds on CPSG’s momentum from last year’s successful inaugural conference in Abuja, which focused on strengthening leadership and ethics within public sector institutions.
The virtual summit which attracted well over 150 participants from across the world and Nigeria in particular attracted wider audience, giving policymakers, governance experts, academics, and citizens from Nigeria, Africa, and beyond the chance to participate in an open, globally connected dialogue.
The session was chaired by Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, OFR, Chairman of the CPSG Advisory Board, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and current Chairman of MTN Nigeria.
Industry observers say the discussion comes at a critical juncture for Africa’s governance systems. With growing fiscal pressures, economic uncertainty, and calls for reforms that emphasize transparency, accountability, and efficiency, CPSG stresses that boards of public institutions must be repositioned as strategic drivers of transformation rather than mere administrative structures.
Through this symposium and its broader initiatives, CPSG reaffirms its mission to advance accountability, transparency, and ethical practices in state-owned enterprises and public bodies. The Centre continues to push for reforms that are not only globally informed but also locally relevant and sustainable.
Follow us on all social media platforms @dailyquery for news and analyses around the globe.
