From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government is to train 123 successful candidates for the Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme(LEAD-P), also described as Special Presidential Cohort, as part of continued efforts at transforming the Federal Civil Service for better performance and quality service.
The LEAD-P is a top talent training programme which forms one of the three core Training Programme contained in the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2017- 2020, aimed at developing and enhancing the leadership potentials of civil servants and targeted at cultivating the next generation of leaders who are dependable, professionally competent and result oriented.
The goal of the initiative is to identify and train 100 middle level officers on grade level 10-14 within the service annually.
In a statement by Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, AbdulGaniyu Aminu, explained that the implementation of LEAD-P commenced in November 2020 with the first selection examination, followed by the 2nd and third examinations before the final stage of oral interview which was held at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), on 15th April 2021.
Successful candidates will undergo nine months training comprising multi-stage selection processes and a combination of virtual and contact training sessions. It will also involve functional rotation of trainees across Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) and exchange programmes within and outside the country, Participants will also undergo two years supervised on-the job continuous development, after graduation.
A total of 169 candidates were interviewed by four (4) interview panels, out of which 123 emerged as the pioneer LEAD-P participants. Each panel was headed by a Permanent Secretary and supported by 3 Directors.