NUJ FCT Partners Centre LSD on Capacity Building, Mentorship

NUJ FCT Partners Centre LSD on Capacity Building, Mentorship

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, has moved to strengthen capacity building for its members through a proposed strategic partnership with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).

The initiative was formalised on Tuesday when the NUJ FCT Council paid a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Centre in Abuja.

Welcoming the delegation, the Executive Director of Centre LSD, Mr. Monday Osasah, expressed the organisation’s readiness to collaborate with the NUJ FCT Council in advancing leadership development, accountability, and good governance.

Mr. Osasah explained that the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, established in 2003, was founded to empower citizens to transform society. According to him, the Centre’s work is anchored on addressing three critical gaps: the absence of strategic leadership, lack of strategy, and inappropriate leadership.

He noted that the Centre runs a leadership school that offers free training programmes, with a total of 3,211 beneficiaries to date. Training centres are currently operating in Benin, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Abakaliki.

The Executive Director further disclosed that the Centre also provides tailor-made international training programmes. He stressed that effective strategy development begins with a clearly defined mission and proper accreditation, adding that government policies can only address grassroots needs when leaders understand and apply strategic thinking in policy implementation.

Mr. Osasah reaffirmed the Centre’s readiness to partner with the NUJ FCT Council in the training and retraining of journalists, as well as in the provision of structured mentorship programmes.

In her response, the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, stated that as a professional body, the Council remains open to partnerships that contribute to societal development while strengthening ethical and responsible journalism.

“We believe the media has a key role to play in amplifying initiatives that support good governance, leadership development, and sustainable progress across the continent,” she said.

She expressed the Council’s willingness to collaborate with Centre LSD to facilitate training opportunities that will equip members for effective leadership roles.

“We are aware that the LSD Centre is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to building strategic leadership for sustainable development in Africa, with a strong focus on governance, leadership, strategy, and development. These are critical areas that align closely with the media’s role in promoting accountability, public enlightenment, and national growth,” she added.

Comrade Ike further stated: “We would like to learn more about your programmes, ongoing activities, and specific expectations from this proposed partnership. This will help us determine how best our members can support your visibility and communication goals in a structured and professional manner.

“We are open to discussing a practical framework that defines the scope of media coverage, responsibilities, and possible areas for long-term collaboration between Centre LSD and the NUJ FCT Council.”

The visit was attended by members of the Centre’s management team, who also contributed insights on areas of mutual benefit aimed at enhancing strategic cooperation between both organisations.