By Sam Eyoboka

DIRECTOR-GENERAL of Institute for National Transformation, INT, Prof. Vincent Anigbogu has said that there can not be true national transformation until there is a concerted effort at developing the nation’s human capital. He noted that a World Bank assessment in 1998 in 192 nations re-vealed that human capital contributes as much as 64 per cent towards economic development as compared to physical infrastructure which contributes 16 per cent and available natural resources which is responsible for 20 per cent.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos ahead of an international conference on national transformation titled; Come, let us build the broken walls of Africa’ and scheduled for Monday, October 28 to November 1 at the Sheba Event Center, Ikeja, with renowned speakers like Dr. Myles Munroe, Dr. Vishal Mangalwadi, Pastor Andriy Kuksenko, Prof. Korman and Pastor Sunday Adelaja as speakers, Prof. Anigbogu said globalization is a reality and no longer a cliche.

He averred that its impact on the continent is already profound to the extent that there are over 600 million mobile phone users in Africa, more than US and Europe, adding that Africa has been tagged by many international experts as the next frontier in global economic development in the next 25 to 40 years.

“But to achieve, Africa must intentionally develop and deploy responsible leaders with integrity, compassion as well as excellence and strategically disperse them in the seven spheres of society: education, government, business, media, social (family), religious, and entertainment.

“Such leaders, besides possessing the requisite character traits, should demonstrate competency in strategic leadership and quality management skills adequate to leadAfrica in a globalized world,” he stated, adding that the INT envisions a transformed Africa by 2030.

According to him, leadership development has remained the passion of the institute, urging every well meaning African to join the campaign for to sharpen the leadership qualities of the urgent generation of African leaders while developing the leaders of tomorrow. He insisted that the continent must raise value-based, no-excuse leaders who will transform their families, organizations, communities and nions to their highest level of performance and achievement.

Giving reasons for the establishment of INT seven years ago after a 14-day training on principles of national transformation from an expert on national transformation, Dr. Sunday Adelaja, Prof. Anigbogu said human capital development is the greatest bottleneck in the development of Africa.

Since 2007, he said INT has been working across the continent with a view to installing no-excuse-leaders of responsibility, integrity, compassion, and excellence, who will proffer performance instead of pronouncements; expertise and competence instead of title and position; be involved in pioneering bold and innovative initiatives towards national development instead of seeking handouts and aid; offer compassionate hands to their people instead of dictatorship, control and abuse; and leave lasting legacies in their life times instead of failures, excuses and shame.

According to him, the institutes operates in seven nations including Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, US, UK and Ivory Coast and has perfected plans to launch many training programmes in basic leadership course, specialized course for private and public organisations; history makers training; Oak Seed executive leadership course and top executive leadership course.

He maintained that about 1,200 had undergone some of the outlines programmes since March 2008, pointing out that INT had also launched collaborative graduate degree programmes in transformational leadership studies with Beulah Heights University in Atlanta, Georgia, and a masters and doctorate degrees in transformational leadership with Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia both in the US.