NIPSS tasks public officers to prioritise country above personal interest

The Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, has urged senior public officers, plus military and paramilitary personnel to place national interest above personal and sectional considerations.

Omotayo gave the charge on Friday at the opening of the National Values and Leadership Course, Batch 7, held at the Institute’s permanent site in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.

The programme which was organised by the National Orientation Agency in collaboration with Tomruk iHub Multiverse and the Dakrisbenic Foundation for Unity and Development in Africa attracted 39 participants from ministries, departments, agencies and paramilitary organisations.

Represented by Prof. Musa Umar, the Director of Research, NIPSS, Omotayo observed that Nigeria is at a defining moment where the character of leaders would determine the country’s trajectory more than infrastructure or policy alone.

“Every nation that has risen to global prominence has done so through leaders who placed values above convenience and long-term national interest above short-term gain,” he said.

While describing the course as a timely intervention for participants to recommit to ethical governance, unity and sustainable development, Omotayo argued that Nigeria’s challenge was not a deficit of talent but the absence of collective commitment to shared values at critical moments.

“Leadership is not a title that conferred influence but influence that conferred direction,” he stated.

“Nigeria needs leaders who will rise above the logic of ethnic suspicion, leaders who will reject the culture of impunity, and leaders who will see public office as an opportunity to solve problems rather than a platform to acquire privileges.”

The NIPSS DG called for the institutionalisation of value-based performance systems across public and private use institutions, with integrity, transparency and accountability embedded in processes, clear ethical standards, sanctions for misconduct, and recognition for exemplary conduct.

To ensure practical impact, the NIPSS boss urged participants to develop organisational “values action plans” with three to five commitments tied to integrity, unity, excellence, inclusivity and environmental care.

He also recommended quarterly reviews and mentorship channels to instill ethical standards in younger officers.

Omotayo continued, “Leadership becomes transformative when ideas are converted into systems, and systems are supported by consistent practice.

“National transformation was not a sprint but a long journey requiring patience, determination, cooperation and the courage to confront [leaders’] own limitations.”

Omotayo further described Nigeria’s cultural and demographic diversity as an asset that could drive innovation and resilience if inclusion was prioritised in recruitment, representation and decision-making.

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He thus urged institutions to integrate environmental responsibility into operations through waste management, responsible energy use and protection of natural resources, and called for renewed civic education to rebuild trust in institutions and encourage youth to view national service as honourable.

The NIPSS DG commended NOA, Tomruk iHub Multiverse and DAFUDA for the platform, and the 39 participants for investing in leadership development, while expressing the hope they would leave with “*the wisdom to lead with courage, the humility to learn and the clarity to place Nigeria above personal or sectional interests.”

In a session on vision and strategy, the Managing Director of Tomruk iHub Multiverse, Job Mwadkon Dachungyang, told participants that potentials must be matched with direction.

“You are the match. The fire is your potentials. This morning, we settle one question: ‘which building are you lighting?’ he said.

“Vision is not a distant event you are waiting for. Vision is who you are being right now, on the way there.”

He added: “Without goals, a mission remains a beautiful intention. With goals, that mission becomes a journey you can walk, measure and finish.”

Earlier, the Director-General of NOA, represented by David Akoji, the Director of Special Duties/States Operations, said a nation’s strength rests on its values and the character of its leadership.

“The strength of a nation lies not in military capability, economic wealth or technology, but in the strength of its values and the character of its leadership,” Akoji said.

He described national values as “not abstract ideals but practical instruments for nation-building” that serve as a moral compass for public service and unity in diversity.

Warning against ethical failure, he cautioned, “Leadership without values breeds impunity. Authority without accountability weakens trust. Power without patriotism undermines national cohesion”

Akoji listed the course objectives to include, “…reaffirming Nigeria’s foundational values, examining the ethical obligations of senior officers, strengthening value-based leadership across MDAs and the security sector, and promoting integrity, discipline, transparency and service anchored on the National Values Charter’s five pillars: integrity and accountability; respect for the rule of law; discipline and excellence; patriotism and national unity; and service above self,” Akoji reeled out.

He highlighted further, “History teaches us that societies that ignore values eventually face institutional decay. But nations that deliberately cultivate ethical leadership experience stability, growth, and lasting prosperity.”

Further more the Director of Special Duties/States Operations, pointed out, “Let it be a turning point where we renew our commitment to ethical leadership and national rebirth.”