A Nigerian-Canadian councillor and leadership coach, Khadijah Halliru, has called for the adoption of Canada’s municipal governance model in...
A Nigerian-Canadian councillor and leadership coach, Khadijah Halliru, has called for the adoption of Canada’s municipal governance model in Nigeria to strengthen governance structures and rebuild public confidence in leadership.
Halliru, an alumna of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and currently serving as a councillor in the Town of Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, made the recommendation during a public lecture at her alma mater on Monday.
Speaking on the theme “Mastering Public Leadership: Building a Governance Culture that Moves Nigeria Forward”, Halliru urged Nigerian universities to nurture leadership grounded in ethics, trust, and national responsibility.
“At a time when nations are in search of visionary leadership, universities must serve as critical breeding grounds for ethical consciousness and service-based leadership,” she said.
Halliru, also a business strategy consultant, argued that replicating Canada's local governance framework could offer Nigeria a more accountable and people-centred system of administration at the grassroots level. She encouraged students to view their education not merely as personal advancement but as preparation for national service.
The lecture, organised by the Faculty of Public Administration, ABU, was aimed at preparing future leaders with ethical values, strategic thinking, and a sense of responsibility to lead transformation in Nigeria.
Chairman of the occasion, Professor Abubakar Mohammed Madaki, Director of the Institute of Administration at ABU, described the lecture as “relevant, timely, and forward-looking.”
He lamented the deficiencies in Nigeria’s leadership culture, citing “lack of accountability, integrity, communication, empathy, and strategic thinking” as persistent challenges to national development.
“Public leadership has long eluded us, and this failure has hindered our socio-political and economic progress,” Prof. Madaki said.
He stressed the university’s role in providing research-driven solutions to societal issues, stating that the lecture was part of ABU’s mission to “generate knowledge, influence reforms and policy through scholarship, dialogue, and collaboration.”
Also speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Adamu Ahmed—represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Ahmed Doko Ibrahim—commended the theme of the lecture and urged students to “listen with attention and reflect on its significance.”
The lecture marked a continuation of the university’s efforts to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical leadership needed for national development.
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