Professionalising Local Government Leadership: A Foundational Imperative

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Olubunmi Ajayi

Abstract

If you have built a castle in the air your work need not be lost – that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.’ (Henry Thoreau)

First, the good news. Africa’s economic pulse has quickened, infusing the continent with a new commercial vibrancy. Real GDP rose by 4.9 percent a year from 2000 through 2008, more than twice its pace in the 1980s and 1990s. Telecommunications, banking, and retailing are flourishing. Construction is booming. Private-investment inflows are surging. Africa’s collective GDP, at $1.6 trillion in 2008, is now roughly equal to Brazil’s or Russia’s, and according to the McKinsey Quarterly, ‘What’s driving Africa’s growth’ (2010), the continent is among the world’s most rapidly growing economic regions. This acceleration is a sign of hard-earned progress and future promise.

Article Details

How to Cite
Ajayi, O. (2011). Professionalising Local Government Leadership: A Foundational Imperative. Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, (8-9). https://doi.org/10.5130/cjlg.v0i8/9.2421
Section
Commentary
Author Biography

Olubunmi Ajayi, African Commission for Local Government Improvement

Olubunmi’s background is in organisational change with specialism in change management, leadership development, cultural & behavioural change. As a management consultant, she worked with organisations such as Oracle Consulting, Atos KPMG, Cable & Wireless, and Kellogg’s. In the public sector, her experience covers local government, central government, the NHS, and NDPBs. Passionate about public sector improvement, Olubunmi’s work is increasingly concerned with public leadership (political, managerial, and civic); and with enabling improvement and innovation in public service organisations. She is the author of Leading Change, (Wiley). Olubunmi is the CEO & President of The Kyberman Foundation. This is an independent and non-partisan organisation with a legacy of commitment to Africa on the frontlines of leadership and local governance to make lasting socio-economic changes.