• Highlights expansion of institute’s departments, training programmes, international partnerships

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar  Sulaiman, has challenged leaders across the world to prioritise institution-building, human development and measurable results, declaring that the true test of leadership lies not in the authority individuals exercise but in the strength of the institutions they leave behind.

Sulaiman made the call while delivering a keynote address titled, ‘Leadership in Practice: Making Decisions, Managing People and Delivering Results,’ at the International Leadership Summit held at the University of Brighton, United Kingdom, on October 14, 2026.

A statement by the institution on Sunday, explained that Sulaiman addressed an international audience of leaders, academics and development practitioners.

The statement added that the NILDS director-general drew on his experience in academia and public service to argue that leadership must be defined by the capacity to transform institutions, improve people’s lives and establish structures capable of sustaining progress beyond an individual’s tenure.

He said: “Leadership is not the privilege of those who occupy high office; it is the discipline of those who accept responsibility for changing the trajectory of institutions and improving the lives of people.

“Titles confer authority, but only character, competence and vision confer leadership.”

He identified sound decision-making, effective people management and the delivery of measurable results as the three essential pillars of leadership, stressing that institutions operating in an increasingly complex environment require leaders capable of navigating uncertainty, developing human potential and translating ideas into tangible public benefits.

Using NILDS as a case study, Sulaiman outlined institutional changes recorded under his leadership, including the expansion of its operational departments from four to 13, the establishment of new institutional centres and Democracy Radio, and the strengthening of its research, legislative drafting, academic and capacity-building functions.

He said the experience demonstrated how strategic planning, institutional commitment and effective execution could reposition public institutions to respond more effectively to the needs of the people they serve.

The director-general also highlighted the completion and occupation of NILDS’ permanent complex, describing the development as a defining milestone in the institute’s institutional growth.

According to him, NILDS moved into its permanent complex on May 25, 2023, after years of delay, providing a stable base for its legislative research, training and democratic development activities.

“That relocation was much more than a physical movement. It represented institutional stability, growth, identity and a long-term vision for democratic capacity-building,” he said.

Sulaiman maintained that meaningful institutional transformation required leaders to confront longstanding challenges rather than become comfortable with existing limitations.

“Leadership, at its core, requires the courage to confront what is difficult rather than simply manage what is convenient,” he said.

On people management, the NILDS boss argued that institutions could not achieve sustainable progress without recognising the contributions of their workforce, encouraging diverse perspectives and creating opportunities for staff to develop professionally.

“If decision-making is the heart of leadership, managing people is its soul. No leader achieves anything alone,” he said.

He explained that effective leadership required more than issuing directives, noting that leaders must build teams, encourage initiative, promote professional development and ensure that individual contributions align with institutional objectives.

Sulaiman cited staff welfare, career progression, professional training and inclusive decision-making among the areas requiring sustained attention, adding that institutions performed better when leaders empowered their personnel rather than centralising every decision.

He also highlighted the expansion of NILDS’ training activities from approximately 13 programmes annually to about 60, describing the growth as evidence of the institute’s increased capacity to serve legislative and democratic institutions.

The institute, he said, had also expanded its academic and development partnerships, strengthened its international engagements across Africa and pursued initiatives aimed at promoting women’s political leadership and democratic development.

Turning to measurable outcomes, Sulaiman outlined several achievements recorded by NILDS over the past seven years, including the delivery of more than 200 capacity-building programmes, the training of over 3,000 legislators, parliamentary staff and public officials, and the establishment of more than 20 strategic partnerships.

He also highlighted the institute’s work with Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly, particularly in strengthening legislative capacity and supporting the development of more effective parliamentary institutions.

The director-general said leadership should be assessed by the outcomes of decisions and the lasting value institutions created, rather than the intentions behind policies or the volume of activities undertaken.

“Vision without execution is fantasy. Decisions without outcomes are intentions. Managing people without results is merely activity. Leadership must translate vision into measurable impact,” he declared.

He further stressed the importance of investing in young Nigerians, citing NILDS’ internship opportunities for young lawyers interested in legislative drafting and its annual engagement of more than 60 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

According to him, such initiatives provide young people with practical exposure to governance and opportunities to contribute to the country’s legislative and democratic development.

Sulaiman said the long-term significance of institutional achievements lay in their ability to build capacity that would endure beyond the tenure of individual leaders.

He described NILDS as an emerging African democratic knowledge hub, bringing together legislative research, executive education, parliamentary diplomacy and democratic innovation to strengthen governance and institutional development.

The director-general presented what he called the Leadership Covenant, urging leaders to base their decisions on purpose rather than popularity, place people at the centre of institutional processes and measure success by the strength of the institutions they leave behind.

He argued that these principles applied across geographical, political and institutional boundaries, particularly at a time when public institutions faced growing demands for accountability, effectiveness and tangible results.

“Leadership is a practice, not a position,” he said, adding that institutional transformation required courage, vision and resilience, particularly when leaders encountered difficult circumstances.

In one of the central reflections of his address, Sulaiman said history was more likely to remember leaders for the enduring contributions they made to institutions and society than for the offices they occupied.

“History rarely remembers those who merely occupied office. It remembers those who expanded the possibilities of institutions, elevated the dignity of people and left society more capable than they found it,” he said.

He called for a new generation of leaders committed to strengthening democratic institutions, upholding human dignity and creating opportunities for future generations.

“That, to me, is the essence of leadership in practice. It is the leadership Africa deserves. It is the leadership democratic institutions require. And it is the leadership this generation must be prepared to bequeath to the next,” he said.

Sulaiman’s participation in the summit provided an opportunity to present Nigeria’s experience in legislative capacity-building and democratic institutional development to an international audience, while underscoring the importance of accountable leadership, evidence-based decisions and sustainable institutional growth.