12 Sept 2025

Today, I was a Keynote Speaker at the 1st Lagos Business School all MBA Students conference, which also hosted visiting MBA students from Cambridge University’s Judge Business School. It was a very fulfilling day, speaking on the theme "Execution as a Competitive Edge" . Planning and strategising are critical, but they remain meaningless without effective execution. Execution is what delivers results or desired outcomes. When we speak about Execution that delivers results, it is driven by Competent and Responsible Leadership with capacity, compassion and character, to drive a disciplined and committed Execution of sound policy and strategy. Visible examples where Competent and Responsible Leadership with capacity, compassion, character and commitment demonstrated a disciplined Execution that delivered tangible results are seen in China, India, and Vietnam during the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2000-2015, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015-2030. Through disciplined Execution, China, India, and Vietnam substantially improved and continue to improve their Human Development Index, lifting over 430 million, 270 million, and 45 million people out of poverty, respectively. By contrast, in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially Nigeria, despite being signatories to the same policies and strategies, weak leadership and inconsistent execution have prevented the achievement of similar results. Most regrettably, while the listed countries and others are lifting people out of poverty, more people are falling into poverty in Nigeria with over 130 million Nigerians presently classified as multidimensionally poor. Moreover, as it is in the public sector, so it is in the private sector, with the sustainable growth and performance of many successful firms attributed to the responsible and competent leadership of their boards and management. To deliver disciplined Execution with lasting positive impact, what is required is Competent and Responsible Leadership with capacity, compassion, and character. That is what Nigeria needs today. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO