Five Days That Reminded Me Why Leadership Capability Matters

I had the privilege of spending five intensive days in London with an exceptional group of leaders brought together by the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) and Prospects Development Services (PDS UK).

What struck me most wasn’t the programme itself. It was the people.

From the very beginning, Dr. Salamatu Garba created an environment built on curiosity, collaboration and genuine learning. Her vision for developing leadership capability across institutions was evident throughout the week, and it was inspiring to see leaders from universities, government, industry and postgraduate programmes learning together rather than in isolation.

I was equally encouraged by conversations with Professor Haruna Musa, Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano. His enthusiasm for understanding how artificial intelligence can strengthen leadership, organisational performance and higher education reflected something I’ve been seeing across many sectors.

The conversation about AI is maturing.

Leaders are asking fewer questions about the technology itself and far more thoughtful questions about how people, leadership and organisations must evolve alongside it.

That is exactly where my own work sits.

Throughout the programme we explored organisational performance, leadership capability, problem solving and the responsible application of artificial intelligence. What impressed me most was the willingness of participants to challenge assumptions, contribute openly and think beyond their own organisations.

There was no shortage of experience in the room. More importantly, there was no shortage of curiosity.

One of the most encouraging outcomes was hearing participants commit to taking the learning back into their own institutions. The proposed collaboration between Bayero University, Capital City University, Northwest University and WOFAN to extend these conversations through future workshops demonstrates exactly what executive education should achieve.

Learning should never end when the programme finishes.

It should become the beginning of organisational change.

I’d also like to thank Hajiya Maimuna El-Labib Lawal for her leadership throughout the week and the entire WOFAN team for creating such a welcoming and professionally delivered experience.

As a Professor of Practice, I often say that capability is built through application, not simply information.

This programme reinforced that belief.

It reminded me that while technology continues to evolve at remarkable speed, organisational performance will still depend on leaders who can think critically, solve meaningful problems and develop the capability of the people around them.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to an outstanding week of learning.

I left genuinely encouraged about what comes next.

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