Purposeful leadership, key to building strong institutions – NILDS DG

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has said Nigeria and other countries need purposeful leadership and stronger institutions to achieve sustainable development, stressing that public office holders should be judged by the institutions they build and the impact they make on people’s lives.

NILDS is the research and training organ of the Nigerian National Assembly.

Sulaiman spoke while delivering a keynote address titled, “Leadership in Practice: Making Decisions, Managing People and Delivering Results,” at the just-concluded International Leadership Summit held at the University of Brighton, United Kingdom.

Addressing an international gathering of academics, public officials and other stakeholders, the NILDS DG said effective governance depended on sound decision-making, people-centred management and the ability to translate policy goals into measurable results.

“Leadership is not the privilege of those who occupy high office; it is the discipline of those who accept responsibility for changing the trajectory of institutions and improving the lives of people. Titles confer authority, but only character, competence and vision confer leadership”, he told the session.

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Sulaiman identified decision-making, people management and results-oriented execution as the three pillars of effective leadership, stressing that institutions needed strategic direction and the capacity to translate vision into tangible public value.

Using NILDS as a case study, Sulaiman highlighted reforms recorded under his watch, including the expansion of its operational departments from four to 13, the establishment of new centres and Democracy Radio, and the strengthening of its research, legislative drafting, academic and capacity-building functions.

He also cited the completion of the institute’s permanent complex, which it moved into on May 25, 2023, after years of delays, describing the development as a significant milestone in its institutional growth.

The DG stated, “That relocation was much more than a physical movement. It represented institutional stability, growth, identity and a long-term vision for democratic capacity-building.”

Professor Sulaiman stressed that meaningful institutional transformation required the courage to confront longstanding challenges rather than settle for familiar limitations, adding that progress depended on strategic planning and the willingness to make difficult decisions.

“Leadership, at its core, requires the courage to confront what is difficult rather than simply manage what is convenient”, he added.

On people management, Sulaiman said sustainable growth depended on recognising the value of human capital, embracing diverse perspectives and creating an environment where staff could contribute meaningfully to shared objectives. He noted that NILDS had prioritised staff welfare, professional development, career progression and inclusive decision-making.

He explained, “If decision-making is the heart of leadership, managing people is its soul. No leader achieves anything alone.”

The DG disclosed that the institute had expanded its annual training programmes from approximately 13 to about 60, representing an increase of more than 360 per cent. NILDS had also strengthened academic and development partnerships, expanded its international engagements across Africa and pursued initiatives to promote women’s political participation and democratic development.

Highlighting achievements recorded over the past seven years, Sulaiman said the institute had delivered more than 200 capacity-building programmes, trained over 3,000 legislators, parliamentary staff and public officials, established more than 20 strategic partnerships and strengthened legislative capacity across Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly.

He further highlighted youth-focused initiatives, including internship opportunities for young lawyers in legislative drafting and the annual engagement of more than 60 National Youth Service Corps members, which he said provided practical experience and opportunities to contribute to governance.

“Vision without execution is fantasy. Decisions without outcomes are intentions. Managing people without results is merely activity. Leadership must translate vision into measurable impact,” he said.

Sulaiman urged public officials to base decisions on purpose rather than popularity, prioritise people and measure success by the strength of the institutions they leave behind. He said NILDS was positioning itself as an African democratic knowledge hub where legislative research, executive education, parliamentary diplomacy and democratic innovation converge.

He noted further, “History rarely remembers those who merely occupied office. It remembers those who expanded the possibilities of institutions, elevated the dignity of people and left society more capable than they found it.”

Sulaiman called for sustained commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, upholding human dignity and building a more capable society, stressing that effective leadership was defined by service and lasting contributions rather than the occupation of public office.

“That, to me, is the essence of leadership in practice. It is the leadership Africa deserves. It is the leadership democratic institutions require. And it is the leadership this generation must be prepared to bequeath to the next,” he added.