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AIG PUBLIC LEADERS PROGRAMME ALUMNI IMPACT STORY
Olufesobi Bright is the Head of Process Efficiency and Change Management at National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS). NAPIMS is the arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation that manages the Nigerian government’s investments in the joint ventures, production sharing contracts and other contract agreements in the upstream sector of the Nigerian oil industry.
Olufesobi joined the inaugural class of the AIG Public Leaders Programme (PLP) hoping to interact with some of the best and brightest public servants in Nigeria and learn from the world class faculty of the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. He states that both expectations were exceeded.
“I have built relationships with some of the smartest Nigerian public servants today- across various segments of the public sector. Most professionals are used to the idea of networking in a broad sense, but this programme offers a unique and accelerated opportunity to build one's public sector professional network. The curriculum speaks to the promotion of integrity, embracing digitalisation, overcoming bias and reinforcing the meaning in work - among other key considerations for which there is a strong adoption requirement in Nigeria's public sector today.”
PLP candidates carry out a capstone project in their organisations, using learnings they have gained from the programme. Olufesobi’s PLP capstone project was titled “Reinforcing the meaning of work at NAPIMS”. The project was inspired by leadership expert Simon Sinek’s theory that many organisations are able to significantly improve their performance by 'starting with why'. By getting their workforce to understand why they exist and what their unique value proposition is, organisations can inspire staff members to action.
NAPIMS is a very significant organisation in Nigeria, with at least $ 50 billion in assets, $11bllion in turn over, and $3.6billion in net profits. NAPIMS 2020 turnover is equivalent to approximately 45% of the Nigerian government’s total 2020 annual budget. Olufesobi believes that as the organisation is transitioning into a new commercial era occasioned by the passing of the 2021 Petroleum Industry Act, NAPIMS has the opportunity to deepen its successful outcomes and performance track record by connecting with its ‘Why’.
“The project objective is to reinforce meaning in work at NAPIMS by establishing a formal “Why” factor which staff identify with and which helps staff connect to NNPC values much better. It is expected that as staff ‘key-in’ to an established “Why” factor, it strengthens the organization and produces a higher dimension of performance that is attributed to companies which have established their “Why”.
He states that he was able to awaken staff consciousness about the existence of the 3N as a 'why-factor'. He is currently working to formalize 3N as a rallying point to reinforce the meaning of work, to help staff understand why they should perform better, why they should embrace digitalisation, why they should employ less bias in decision making and why they should keep on delivering superior value; because of benefits to NAPIMS, NNPC and NIGERIA (3N).
Olufesobi states that learnings from the PLP have benefited him greatly in his on the job performance and in his career.
“The programme has elevated my performance levels. I started the programme as Lead Change Advisor at NAPIMS and concluded the programme as Head, Process Efficiency and Change Management. I believe that the programme provided me with a reorientation and the opportunity to upskill and build leadership confidence. Now I can lead a bigger team and take decisions with confidence.”