. Pledges results-driven leadership 

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Patterson Ogon, has assumed office as Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria (ISMNC), pledging to promote professional excellence, ethical leadership and measurable results.

Ogon formally took over the chapter’s administrative affairs following a handover ceremony held at the weekend in Port Harcourt, after his election to the position.

Speaking at the chapter’s inaugural meeting, swearing-in ceremony and handover of administrative responsibilities, the new chairman said his administration would consolidate the achievements of his predecessors while strengthening the institute’s role in professional development and strategic leadership.

He said the chapter would serve as a platform for strategic thinking, intellectual development, mentorship and collaboration, stressing that membership must offer tangible opportunities for learning, networking and professional growth.

“Strategy must translate into practical outcomes. Every programme and initiative undertaken by this chapter must have clear objectives, create demonstrable value and deliver measurable results,” Ogon said.

He identified continuous professional development as a major priority, noting that technological advancement, artificial intelligence, changing economic realities and evolving leadership expectations had made adaptability essential for professionals.

According to him, his administration will promote seminars, workshops and knowledge-sharing engagements while strengthening mentorship and intergenerational learning to combine the experience of established professionals with the innovative ideas and technological awareness of younger members.

Ogon also pledged to promote transparency, accountability and professional ethics, assuring members that the chapter’s resources would be managed prudently in their collective interest.

He called for stronger collaboration among members, state chapters, regional structures and the institute’s national leadership, urging professionals to contribute their expertise and opportunities towards advancing the organisation.

The National President and Chairman-in-Council of ISMNC, Ndudi Enebeli, welcomed the leadership transition, describing the Rivers State chapter as particularly significant to him.

Enebeli, however, expressed concern over growing apathy among members of professional bodies in Rivers State, challenging the new executive to develop strategies to encourage participation and re-engage inactive members.

He urged members to see the institute as a platform for continuous learning rather than participating only when specific programmes offered immediate personal benefits.

“Communication, cooperation and collaboration are essential elements of successful leadership and teamwork,” he said, while encouraging the outgoing executive to mentor and support the new leadership.

Enebeli also commended the Rivers chapter’s contributions to the institute’s national leadership, noting that it had produced the national president and had been recognised as the institute’s best-performing chapter in successive periods.

Earlier, a former chairman, Nathan Excellence, thanked members of his executive committee for their support during approximately two years in office.

Excellence said his administration was handing over a more structured institute with improved capacity to deliver on its objectives, expressing confidence that the new leadership would consolidate the gains recorded and advance the chapter’s growth.