In order to integrate best practices into the nonprofit sector, Lagos Business School has collaborated with Ford Foundation to run a leadership and management programme that will train young African leaders in the nonprofit sector.
The programme will have 4 runs over a 24-month period. The target is to have 50 participants per run, and at least 200 participants by the end of the two-year period.
The programme which combines online takes on a highly practical, experiential and interactive approach. It focuses on developing the core areas of management, including funding structures, strategic planning, policy and legal issues, organizational development, staff and volunteer management, risk management, among others. Speaking on the highlights of the programme, Dr. Ijeoma Nwagwu, Faculty, Lagos Business School said that the programme will cut across various aspects of nonprofit management, and will strategically examine leadership effectiveness, business fundamentals, and social innovation.
She said that these focused areas are important in building skills that are universal and would help any organization thrive. “The certificate programme aims to give young nonprofit leaders a platform on which to think about their work in a professional way and develop tangible leadership skills and knowledge around governance, structures, and processes that will enable them to build global organizations that would outlast the founders. In many parts of the world, social enterprises are emerging to generate greater impact – individuals and groups of people are identifying social problems and using principles and practices of business to drive impact and achieve results. The programme will train participants to become more effective leaders, learn the fundamental of running a sustainable organization, and understand the dynamics of social innovation – the new space in which they are now creating change”.
According to Nwagwu, the programme kicked off with a panel session that brought four nonprofit leaders together to talk about challenges they faced in the early stages of their organizations, lessons learned, and how they were able to solve the challenges”. Another session that excited participants was facilitated by Dr. Akin Oparison, Faculty, Lagos Business School which focused on Leadership. He said that leadership is all about influence; it takes leadership to motivate and stimulate the minds of people to share thoughts, ideas, and activities that translate their intent and goals into the output.” Discussions during the session prompted participants to think about leadership from a completely new perspective, and left them eager to learn more during the programme.
