Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has urged political leaders and senior public servants to embrace strategic foresight in policymaking and governance to promote sustainable development and prepare the state for future challenges.
Abiodun, represented by the Head of Service, Olanrewaju Saka, stated this at the opening of a three-day Capacity Development Programme on Foresighting for Strategic Leaders in Ogun State at the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona School of Governance Studies (OSKASOGS), National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Ago-Iwoye.
He said effective leadership required anticipating emerging trends, identifying opportunities and assessing potential risks rather than focusing solely on immediate challenges.
According to him, strategic foresight would help government officials explore future scenarios and integrate long-term considerations into policy formulation, budgeting, planning and programme implementation.
He said the initiative aligned with his administration’s Building Our Future Together vision and its commitment to strengthening the public service for effective service delivery.
The governor noted that Ogun State’s expanding industrial base, strategic location along the Lagos-Ogun economic corridor and growing investment opportunities made long-term planning essential to ensuring that infrastructure, education, healthcare, housing and employment kept pace with the state’s development.
He challenged participants to consider the skills young people would need to remain competitive, the infrastructure required to sustain industrial growth and the measures the government must take to prevent emerging risks from becoming major challenges.
He also appreciated NIPSS for providing the training at no cost to participants, urging them to apply the knowledge gained to improve decision-making and strengthen public institutions.
In his goodwill message, former Head of Service, Mr Kehinde Onasanya, described Abiodun as a strong advocate for capacity-building initiatives, saying the programme had continued to enrich participants’ knowledge, strengthen the civil service, foster teamwork and improve the implementation of government policies and programmes.
Similarly, Prof. Adeyanju commended the governor for providing policymakers and public servants with the opportunity to strengthen their strategic leadership skills.
He urged participants to use the training to contribute to Ogun State’s growth and development, stressing that it was designed to equip them with techniques for identifying emerging trends, exploring alternative future scenarios, assessing risks and opportunities, and incorporating long-term thinking into government policies and development plans.
Abiodun tasks political leaders, public servants on strategic foresight