Founding President, Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria (ISMN) (Chartered), Professor Austin Nwandulu has listed low productivity as one of the major challenges confronting Nigeria’s national development.
Uwandulu said this at the Institute’s Strategists’ Forum 2024 with the theme, “Resetting National Priorities: Leveraging Strategic Entrepreneurship”, and Induction ceremony on Friday night in Abuja.
He called for the redefining of strategic management, emphasising the importance of strategic leadership in addressing the nation’s productivity challenges.
According to him, Nigeria’s primary problem is not just leadership or lack of skilled manpower but low productivity.
He added that addressing the issues required a combination of effectiveness (doing the right thing) and efficiency (doing things right).
“What is wrong with Nigeria is simply low productivity and so, we need to solve the problem through a fusion of effectiveness and efficiency.
“It is propelled by the leaders and if you are projecting over a long horizon, it will be the duty of strategic leaders,” he said.
The professor expresses optimism, projecting that Nigeria will achieve greatness by 2060 and beyond, driven by strategic leadership and managed change.
He encourages youth and all Nigerians to remain hopeful, emphasizlsing that the current struggles were temporary hiccups on the path to national success.
“We need to manage change and we believe that Nigeria will be a great nation by 2060.
“That is approximately 40 years from now, and there are so many changes we need to manage changes that will take place by 2030, 2040, 2050, and 2060, when Nigeria will have been a great nation of good people.
“Anybody who feels he is hopeless should know that Nigeria is getting there and it is not an impressionistic pronouncement, nor is it a wishful thinking, it is buried in critical and constructive thinking,” he added.
In his opening remarks, the President of ISMN, Mr Alex Enebili, reiterated the commitment of the institute to training and building building strategic leaders that would act as agents of national development.
Enebeli urged the newly inducted fellows to see themselves as leaders, difference makers, anywhere, anytime and must distinguish their career and be prominent in performance.
He urged newly inducted members and fellows to uphold the value of the institute and be world-class professionals.
Ch
ief of Accounts and Budget, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), AVM Uchechi Nwagwu, a fellow of the institute was recognised for hard work and dedication at the event.
He was recognised alongside the Chairperson, Board and Body of Fellows of ISMN, Dr Jummai Umar-Ajijola.
In his remarks, Nwagwu expresses gratitude to ISMN for recognising hard work and encouraged new inductees to contribute to the institute’s growth.
He reassured the institute of his commitment to ite goals and urged others to build on the foundation laid.
A total of 403 new members comprisising 363 full members and 40 associates members were inducted into the institute.