NUJ FCT Council, Centre LSD Seal Partnership to Strengthen Journalists’ Leadership Capacity

By Momodu Favour

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, has initiated a strategic partnership with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) aimed at enhancing the professional competence, leadership capacity and strategic thinking of its members.

The collaboration was formalised on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the NUJ FCT Council to the leadership of the Centre in Abuja.

Speaking while receiving the delegation, the Executive Director of Centre LSD, Mr. Monday Osasah, expressed readiness to work with the union in advancing leadership development, accountability and good governance within the media space and beyond.

Osasah said the Centre, established in 2003, was founded with the vision of empowering citizens to drive societal transformation through strategic leadership and effective governance practices. According to him, the organisation’s programmes were structured to address three critical gaps in governance and development: the absence of strategic leadership, lack of effective strategy, and inappropriate leadership practices.

He disclosed that the Centre operates a leadership school that provides free training to participants, adding that no fewer than 3,211 individuals have benefitted from its programmes over the years. He further revealed that the Centre currently runs training hubs in Benin, Warri, Port Harcourt and Abakaliki to expand access to leadership education across the country.

The Executive Director also highlighted the Centre’s tailor-made international training programmes designed to meet the specific needs of institutions and organisations. He emphasised that effective strategy development must be anchored on a clearly defined mission and supported by proper accreditation frameworks.

Osasah noted that public policies can only achieve meaningful impact at the grassroots level when leaders understand and apply strategic thinking in policy formulation and implementation.

The proposed partnership is expected to provide NUJ FCT members with opportunities for structured leadership training, capacity-building workshops and exposure to strategic development frameworks that can enhance their professional performance and contributions to national development.

Stakeholders at the meeting expressed optimism that the collaboration would strengthen the role of journalists in promoting transparency, accountability and democratic governance through informed and strategic reporting.