• Says continent needs execution revolution, not endless policy declarations

• Advocates shift from consumption to production, knowledge creation

• Osun First Lady says foundation has empowered over 3,000 women, youths

• NIPR President blames elite conspiracy, poor leadership culture for Africa’s underdevelopment

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Founder and Director-General of the Institute for National Transformation International (INT International), Professor Vincent Anigbogu, has challenged African leaders, governments and development institutions to demonstrate measurable development results within 90 days, insisting that the continent needs an execution revolution rather than more policy declarations and development conferences.

Anigbogu argued that Africa’s persistent underdevelopment was not primarily caused by a shortage of natural resources, intellectual capacity or development ideas, but by the failure of its leaders and institutions to translate available opportunities, policies and resources into productive enterprises, functional institutions and improved living conditions.

He warned that the continent could no longer afford a development culture characterised by endless meetings, ambitious declarations, abandoned programmes and weak accountability.

The INT International director-general made the call Monday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the opening of the 2026 STEP Delegate Leadership Summit, organised under the theme, ‘Love Africa Now: Building STI-Driven Economies for the Africa We Want.’

The five-day summit, which attracted delegates from Nigeria and other African countries, is designed to strengthen leadership capacity, institutional performance and the application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to Africa’s economic transformation.

Speaking on the topic, ‘From Vision to Execution: Developing Disciplined People, Disciplined Thinking and Disciplined Systems for Africa’s Transformation,’ Anigbogu said the continent must urgently bridge the widening gap between its development aspirations and actual performance.

To illustrate the gravity of the challenge, he cited Nigeria’s 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index, which indicated that approximately 133 million Nigerians, representing 63 per cent of the population at the time, were living in multidimensional poverty.

He also referenced a United Nations assessment for 2026, which reportedly indicated that only 36 per cent of assessable Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets were on track or making moderate progress.

According to him, the figures exposed the limitations of development strategies that prioritise government spending, policy pronouncements and institutional activities without adequately measuring their impact on citizens.

He cautioned that Africa risked losing further ground in the emerging global economy unless it developed the capacity to compete in artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and other technology-driven industries.

Anigbogu declared: “Africa does not need another beautiful declaration that ends with applause. Africa needs an execution revolution.”

He urged African countries to abandon excessive dependence on imported finished products and embrace competitive local production, knowledge creation, technological innovation and the manufacturing of finished goods from the continent’s abundant raw materials.

He identified character, competence and disciplined execution as the three critical foundations required to transform Africa’s development prospects.

According to him, disciplined leadership must be anchored on integrity, responsibility and commitment, while disciplined thinking must rely on evidence, scientific reasoning and accurate diagnosis of societal problems.

He explained that disciplined systems must establish clearly defined responsibilities, provide adequate resources, introduce measurable performance indicators and enforce accountability and continuous improvement.

“Competence without character can produce sophisticated corruption. Character without competence can produce sincere but ineffective leadership. And both without effective systems may produce excellent intentions that cannot be sustained,” he said.

The professor disclosed that the summit was structured around five stages: alignment, building viability, diagnosis, design and execution and commitment.

He said the participating institutions were expected to conclude the engagement with practical programmes, clearly assigned responsibilities, identified funding requirements and measurable implementation targets.

Specifically, he challenged each delegation to develop a 90-day implementation plan addressing at least one critical problem within its area of responsibility.

He also announced plans for a 10-month mentorship programme to monitor implementation, evaluate institutional progress, identify shortcomings and assess the impact of projects developed during the summit.

Anigbogu further disclosed that the institute was working towards establishing the Love Africa Now STI Transformation Network (LANST-NET), a continental platform designed to connect governments, universities, businesses, investors, development partners and civil society organisations.

He explained that the proposed network would promote strategic partnerships and accelerate development through the practical application of science, technology and innovation.

He stressed, however, that participation would be determined by demonstrated commitment to implementation and measurable achievements rather than the mere acquisition of membership certificates.

“The real test of this summit will begin after these five days. We are not here merely to improve knowledge. We are here to change how our institutions function.

“No more transformation by proclamation alone. No more confusing attendance with competence. No more substituting activity reports for verified development outcomes,” he declared.

Earlier, the wife of the Osun State Governor, Ambassador Ngozi Abeni Adeleke, called for greater recognition of women’s leadership and youth participation as essential components of Africa’s sustainable development agenda.

Adeleke, who attended the summit alongside commissioners and other representatives of the Osun State Government, said science, technology and innovation remained critical to economic prosperity, job creation, improved healthcare delivery and the resolution of the continent’s development challenges.

She disclosed that her Esther Adeleke Humanitarian Foundation had empowered more than 3,000 women and young entrepreneurs across the three senatorial districts of Osun State through small and medium-scale enterprise development initiatives.

According to her, approximately 100 young women had graduated from the foundation’s beauty and cosmetology vocational training programme, with each beneficiary receiving start-up equipment to establish an independent business.

She added that the foundation had also organised entrepreneurship training for lecturers in tertiary institutions, supported families blessed with triplets and distributed essential food items to more than 5,000 vulnerable residents in partnership with Fidelity Bank.

The Osun First Lady urged delegates to ensure that the summit produced bankable programmes and strategic partnerships capable of improving the living conditions of ordinary Africans.

Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, identified poor leadership culture, lack of responsibility and what he described as a conspiracy of the elite as major obstacles to Africa’s development.

He lamented that many African leaders had become preoccupied with endless official engagements at the expense of critical thinking, strategic planning and productive governance.

He urged the continent’s political, business and intellectual elite to abandon narrow personal interests and accept collective responsibility for addressing the challenges confronting their societies.

The NIPR president also stressed the need for Africa to take greater responsibility for communicating its achievements and reshaping its image before the international community.

Similarly, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, Dr Jake Epelle, called for the deliberate inclusion of persons with disabilities in the continent’s development agenda.

Epelle, who said more than 300 million persons with disabilities lived across Africa, argued that they should no longer be treated merely as recipients of charity but recognised as active contributors to economic growth and national development.

He commended Anigbogu for promoting disability inclusion and challenged participants to measure their achievements by the positive impact they made on the lives of others.

A United States-based global transformation advocate, Mark Blouse, also expressed support for the initiative, describing its emphasis on practical development outcomes as consistent with transformation efforts in other parts of the world.

He expressed interest in exploring partnerships that would connect African institutions with similar development initiatives internationally.