WACSI embarks on two-week leadership training programme

The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), has embarked on a leadership training programme to enhance leadership abilities of middle-level professionals to be effective players in key decision-making process affecting development in West Africa.

The two-week training christened: “Civil Society Leadership Institute,” is to facilitate transformational leadership through a three-pronged participatory approach, which focuses on individual development, organizational strengthening and societal transformation.

Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Executive Director of WACSI, said the leadership programme is to train professionals to become the leaders with the passion to work for the citizenry with much commitment, to be able to move society forward through the right direction.

She urged participants to see the training as a vocation and a calling, to be able to take over the mantle of leadership in the near future.

Nana Afadzinu called for the mobilization of domestic resources, to bring development to the poor and vulnerable groups in West Africa.

Dr Yao Graham, Coordinator of Third World Network-Africa, speaking on the topic, “The Leadership Factor: The Future of Civil Society in West Africa,” said the major problems confronting African countries are development, as well as building a transformational leadership.

He said institutions and societies are the major focus in building transformation for development, hence the need to focus more to change the status quo.

“It is also important to build on our flaws as nations and least developed countries with raw materials to improve the condition of the people to make jobs readily available for the youth,” he said.

He called on participants and all civil society organisations to know who their role models are, both consciously and unconsciously, to have the right professionals with the needed passion, commitment and the drive just like former First President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to move Ghana and other West African countries forward.

“Understanding the totality of the conditions under which we live would help us have a common understanding as to how to address developmental challenges confronting us.

“We must be able to transcend our leadership challenges in society, if we are aiming at developing countries or societies”, he said.