By: Julian Osamoto
The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has highlighted the Institute’s expansion in training, research and institutional capacity as evidence of how strategic leadership can strengthen democratic governance.
Prof Sulaiman explained that NILDS expanded from four operational departments to 13, increased its annual training programmes from about 13 to 60, and trained more than 3,000 legislators, parliamentary staff and public officials over the past seven years.
He presented the achievements while delivering a keynote address titled “Leadership in Practice: Making Decisions, Managing People and Delivering Results” at the International Leadership Summit held at the University of Brighton, United Kingdom, on October 16, 2026.
Drawing on more than three decades of experience in academia and public service, the NILDS Director-General told the international gathering that effective leadership should be measured by institutional growth, improved public service and the capacity created for future generations.
“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 declared.
Prof Sulaiman identified sound decision-making, effective management of people and measurable results as the three pillars of leadership, arguing that institutions needed leaders who can navigate uncertainty, develop human potential and turn strategic plans into tangible outcomes.
NILDS Expansion, Institutional Transformation
Using NILDS as a case study, prof Sulaiman outlined changes in the Institute’s organisational structure, infrastructure and professional functions, which he said had broadened its capacity to support legislative as well as democratic development.
“Beyond the expansion from four to 13 departments, there is also the establishment of new institutional centres and Democracy Radio, alongside stronger research, legislative drafting, academic and capacity-building functions”.
He cited the completion and occupation of NILDS’ permanent complex, which the Institute moved into on 25 May 2023 after years of delay.
“That relocation was much more than a physical movement. It represented institutional stability, growth, identity and a long-term vision for democratic capacity-building,” he stated.
For prof Sulaiman, the development illustrated the importance of confronting longstanding institutional challenges rather than accepting limitations as permanent.
“Leadership, at its core, requires the courage to confront what is difficult rather than simply manage what is convenient,” he maintained.
Training and Legislative Capacity-Building
Prof Sulaiman also reported that the Institute had delivered more than 200 capacity-building programmes over seven years and established over 20 strategic partnerships.
According to him, NILDS had strengthened legislative capacity across Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly while expanding its academic and development partnerships with international engagements across Africa.
The Institute has also pursued initiatives to support women’s political leadership and democratic development, reflecting its broader mandate to strengthen legislative institutions and democratic governance.
NILDS DG emphasised that institutional progress depended not only on structures and programmes but also on the people responsible for delivering them.
“If decision-making is the heart of leadership, managing people is its soul. No leader achieves anything alone,” he stated.
He highlighted staff welfare, professional development, career progression and inclusive decision-making as important elements of institutional effectiveness, arguing that leaders achieve more when they empower their teams rather than centralise decisions.
Investing in Young Professionals
The NILDS Director-General also highlighted the Institute’s efforts to prepare young Nigerians for careers in governance and public service.
He cited internship opportunities for young lawyers in legislative drafting and the annual engagement of more than 60 National Youth Service Corps members as examples of initiatives that give young professionals practical experience and opportunities to contribute to democratic development.
“Sustainable leadership should create opportunities for others to develop their skills and participate meaningfully in public institutions”.
From Leadership Vision to Measurable Results
Emphasising the need to assess leadership through outcomes, Prof Sulaiman said institutional vision must be matched by effective execution and demonstrable impact.
“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 declared.
He described NILDS as an emerging African democratic knowledge hub, bringing together legislative research, executive education, parliamentary diplomacy and democratic innovation.
He stressed that, the value of institutional achievements extends beyond immediate results to the knowledge, systems and capabilities that future generations inherit.
Leadership Beyond Public Office
Concluding his address, Prof Sulaiman outlined the Leadership Covenant, urging leaders to base decisions on purpose rather than popularity, prioritise people and assess their performance by the strength of the institutions they leave behind.
He maintained that evidence-based decision-making, people-centred management and results-oriented execution were essential to effective leadership, regardless of political or geographical context.
“Leadership is a practice, not a position,” he affirmed, adding that institutional transformation requires courage, vision and resilience, particularly when leaders face unfavourable circumstances.
He stated: “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.”
He called for a generation of leaders committed to strengthening democratic institutions, upholding human dignity and building a more capable society for future generations.
“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 affirmed.
