WHO WE ARE
The Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa (IGLSA) is an international non-State intellectual and Professional Resource Centre established as a concerted and constructive response to challenges of Africa development. A multi-disciplinary Centre, the IGLSA attempts to address some of the skills gaps that may have impeded development in Africa with the primary aim of enhancing the Continent’s capacity to harness its enormous potentials. The paradox of Africa is the pervasive poverty and poor infrastructure in the midst of almost limitless human and material resource base.
Students of African development do not agree on the causes of Africa’s underdevelopment, especially because of the different ideological frameworks adopted to analyse the problem. However, there is a consensus on the need for an urgent, concerted and an emergency- like intervention to prevent the problem from snowballing into serious economic refugee crisis which may threaten the very foundation of international order. Indeed, the scenario has started to evolve with several thousands of displaced migrants and others who are escaping from the scourge of poverty on the continent trouping into Europe in droves. Some, in the process, have lost their lives in the hostile sea that link Africa to Europe.
It cannot be overemphasized that the relatively young population of most African countries, coupled with the current threats from extremist groups, may make the continent highly vulnerable to terror groups’ recruitment. Clearly, this may make the international terror war intractable and difficult to win. This underscores the critical nature of the problem.
It should be emphasized that there is no one single solution to the problem of developing Africa. It requires a multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary and sustained collaborative effort among countries in the Continent. It is also important to note that these efforts must necessarily involve both the public and non-public sectors of all the Countries. This is more so because no society can develop without a healthy collaboration between the sectors. It is our view that the Private Sector must, indeed, take the commanding lead if the development efforts must be sustainable.
Despite the relative disagreement among scholars of Africa development on the cause(s) of the Continent’s underdevelopment, there seems to be some agreement on some of the following:
- Lack of capacity to harness available opportunities and human and resource potentials.
- Policy inconsistencies mainly due to political instability and the absence of national consensus on the policy direction that will enhance the Continent’s capacity to prosper.
- Absence of a constructive and concerted leadership recruitment process as is the case in most advanced economies.
- Inadequate civic socialisation facilities including the educational system which could have strengthened the bond between citizens and the State as well as enhancing the entrepreneurial skill of the youths.
- The IGLSA was established in response to the foregoing challenges.
Our Objectives include the following:
(i) To undertake research and documentation on both national and international dimensions of matters such as Governance, Civil Society/Political Party Management, and Political Security as part of efforts to strengthen democratic practice in Africa.
(ii) Provide training, capacity building, and certification on Governance, Civil Society/Political Party Management, Political Security and related disciplines.
(iii) Provide training and capacity building on leadership and leadership related matters.
(iv) Provide consultancy services to State and non-State Organisations within and outside the Africa Continent.
(v) To research into and undertake training on voters/civic education, elections and elections related matters within the Africa Continent and other emerging democracies.
(vi) Undertake elections observation within the Africa Continent and beyond as part of deliberate comparative research efforts on elections.
(vii) Collaborate with Local and International Academic and Professional Institutions in pursuance of its objectives.
(viii) Establish academic journals/magazines to promote scholarship in areas within its purview.
(ix) Organise Conferences and Seminars to encourage intellectual discourse in its areas of concern.
(x) Cooperate with, and render services to, State and Non State Institutions within the African Continent and beyond.
(xi) Undertake research into problems of African development and disseminate findings to countries in Africa with the primary aim of solving these problems.
(xii) To undertake effective continental -wide advocacy on Climate Change, its implications on the future of the Continent as well as necessary remedial measures.
(xii) To study the extent to which the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) was beneficial to Africa and carry out effective continental-wide advocacy on the succeeding global programme, The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
(xii) Carry out other activities that it may considers relevant in pursuance of its objectives
PARTNERSHIPS
The IGLSA will collaborate with academic and professional institutions as well as specialized non-State actors in pursuance of its defined objectives. To be sure, the Institute has initiated discussion with some Universities in Africa, Europe and the USA with a view to developing academic and Professional programmes to address identified skill gap. We do not intend to compete with these institutions. Rather, we wish to collaborate with them to enhance the capacity of countries in the Continent to effectively compete in an increasingly highly competitive international environment.
Working with these Institutions, we intend to provide high quality leadership and governance training as well as undertaking research into critical areas of Africa development. Our major goal is to provide world class specialised education at affordable local rates.
We welcome enquiries on possible partnership and or support from Institutions that share the objectives of our Institute.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
