CALABAR/Nigeria: Local government staff and political office holders from Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have undergone a capacity-building programme designed to strengthen leadership, accountability and administrative effectiveness at the grassroots.
The one-day training, organised by the Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative (VREI) in collaboration with Itu Local Government Area, was held at Monty Hotels & Suites, Calabar, under the theme, “Understanding Leadership, Accountability & Good Governance in Local Government Administration.”
VREI Founding Executive Director, Amb. Pst. Edewor Egedegbe, led one of the sessions, where he challenged participants to view leadership as a responsibility requiring vision, integrity, effective communication and sound decision-making. VREI identifies capacity building, value reorientation, governance and accountability among its areas of work.
Egedegbe emphasised that effective leadership should ultimately translate plans and decisions into measurable results, rather than being defined solely by the authority attached to an office.
Another session, facilitated by Mr. Obot Obot, examined organisational habits, decision-making, problem-solving and institutional performance. He urged participants to make verification a key component of public administration, stressing the principle: “Do not certify what you have not verified.”
Obot also highlighted the importance of cooperation between elected political office holders and career officials, noting that effective collaboration is necessary for improving efficiency and accountability within local government institutions.
The third session, led by Prof. Andrew Agboro, focused on resource mobilisation and sustainable local government development. Participants were encouraged to explore legitimate funding opportunities through development partnerships, grants, private-sector collaboration and local economic activities, while improving the management of resources already available to their councils.
Speaking during the programme, the Executive Chairman of Itu Local Government Area, Hon. Ubong Nkutt, commended VREI for the initiative, describing the training as relevant to strengthening the capacity of both the council’s workforce and political leadership.
Nkutt said the lessons from the programme could contribute to improved local government administration and linked the training to the broader development priorities of the Akwa Ibom State Government under its ARISE agenda.
The programme also featured interactive discussions in which participants examined institutional challenges and identified practices they needed to stop, start or continue in order to improve their performance and responsibilities.
At the end of the training, participants received certificates of participation.
VREI, which describes its vision as building value-driven institutions for sustainable peace and development, has continued to focus on leadership training, civic engagement, transparency, accountability and capacity development. Its leadership school programme is run in partnership with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).
