About ten years ago, I began my relationship with the Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria (CIPMN), a journey that culminated in my admission as a Professional Fellow of the Institute, designating me as Fellow Chartered Public Manager (FCPM) in July 2022. This is the highest professional attainment for public management practitioners.

Today, that relationship enters an exciting new phase.

I am delighted to announce that GlobalVillage Consult and the Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the development and delivery of an innovative executive education programme in Economic Diplomacy. This is a byproduct of my seminal book 📕 Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora.

The flagship initiative, the Masterclass in Economic Diplomacy for Public Managers, is built on a simple but increasingly important conviction:

In today’s world, every public manager must also think like an economic diplomat.

Whether at the federal, state or local government level, attracting investment, building strategic partnerships, engaging the diaspora, promoting exports and positioning communities for prosperity are no longer peripheral responsibilities. They are becoming central to effective public leadership.

I am grateful to the leadership of the Institute, particularly the Registrar / Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gabriel Opene FCPM, for the confidence reposed in this initiative and for embracing the vision of building professional capacity in this emerging field.

For me personally, this partnership represents more than the launch of another training programme leading to the award of Certified Public Manager in Economic Diplomacy (CPMED). It is another step in a journey that has been shaped by scholarship, public service, international practice and the conviction that ideas can become institutions.

The work begins now.

I look forward to working with the Institute and our future academic, professional and international partners to help equip a new generation of public managers with the competencies needed to lead in an increasingly interconnected global economy.

The journey continues.