By Ralph Madugu
In continuation of its effort towards the pursuance of leadership excellence, the ECWA Leadership Institute has graduated another set of 56 participants of the executive training course with emphasis on the pursuit of excellence as the focus of the training.
The training, which is the 3rd since the inception of the Institute in 2019, drew course participants from various District Church Councils Departments, Units and Agencies.
At a graduation exercise held at the ECWA Headquarters in Jos, course participants were decorated with Institute’s insignia and awarded certificates.
Felicitating with the graduands, ECWA executive commended them availing themselves to be part of the training and charged them to put into practical use the knowledge acquired.
“As we have said severally within the two weeks that this is the beginning of great thing for ECWA to have formed this institute and to have you as three set members because the organization will experience an impact on your membership.”
Represented by the Director of Administration, Mrs. Maryam Salau, the ECWA leaders said that the establishment of Institute signifies the beginning of good things in ECWA.
“We want to say thank you to all of you. We thank God that you made the choice to be here and we believe that none of you here ever regret coming here because value has been added in one way or the other.
“So thank you so much for your coming. Thank you for your attention and time and thank you must especially for the fact that you are going back to put into practice what you have learned from this place. I pray that God will help you, see you through and make you to excel.”
Earlier in his remarks, Dean of the Institute, Rev. Dr. Elijah Ipole, charged the participants to always come with a mindset of identifying problems and proffering solutions that will positively impact their various organizations and not to view it another seminar.
“As we are here, it is not just being lectures but to interact and impact the society.”
Earlier at the opening of the 10-day training, ECWA President, Rev. (Dr.) Stephen Panya Baba, tasked the course participants to pay attention to all the teachings and discussions because it is the basis for being at the Institute.
According to him, the time has come for ECWA as the light of the world, show others what to do but not the other way round adding that if the world knows the importance of institutes such as ELI, then it is imperative for ECWA members to take it serious.
While admonishing the course participants to be attentive, active and expectant, the cleric said, “You are here because those who that chose you to be here believe that you are a leader. You should therefore, try your best to display such leadership qualities in this place and in deed, wherever you find yourself.”
In a key a keynote address titled, “The Expected Impact of ELI Alumni on the Church and Society,” ECWA General Secretary, Rev Yunusa Nmadu Jnr implored the course participants to be “system thinkers” who understand the workings of their environment. This according to him, prior understanding of their environments helps in building a culture of effectiveness and productivity.
The ECWA scribe who enumerated what he described as “core capabilities of systemic leaders,” urged them to imbibe the habit of communitarianism and deep reflective attitudes devoid of tribalism after passing through the Institute.
During the training, participants were taken through various courses by resource persons drawn from across different fields of endeavor focusing on topics such as “Spiritual life of a Church Leader, Team Building and Human Relations/Conflict Management, Financial Management, History of ECWA/SIM and Growing the Local Church, Qualifications and Qualities of a Leader, Human Resource Management and Socio-political Issues and Leadership. Strategic Planning, Business and Entrepreneurship, Principles of Management, Policy Formulation and Implementation, Public Relations, Record Keeping, Documentation and Archive, Environmental Ethics, Performance Management: Monitoring and Evaluation, Church and State, Leadership Succession and Mentoring and Identifying and Mitigating Conflicts and Litigations in ECWA were among several topics that participants were taken through during the training.
During the 10-day intensive training course participants were dissolved into syndicate groups where they were assigned to simulation exercises as each group was saddled with topical questions. It also group discussions, presentations and interactive sessions.
Goodwill messages came from Rev. Dr. Barje Maigadi, Managing Directors of ECWA Portfolio Management Limited, ECWA Development Finance Limited and the Director, POD of ECWA, ECWA Audit Director, Coordinator of ECWA Guest Houses among others.
Lt. Commander Rev K. I Ndas and Mrs. Comfort Sunday who were among the course III participants, spoke to this magazine expressed delight for taking part in the training.
Mrs. Comfort Sunday and current Assistant Secretary of the ECWA Women Fellowship International said, “Actually, I feel as if the course was organized for me. Because it has imparted much into me. Things that I had not known before, I have learnt it through this course. There are so many things that were taught about leadership, spiritual life of a leader, how to do business. I have seen where I have been lacking. With this course it will enable me to make changes and improve in my leadership.”
Lt. Commander, Rev K. I Ndas from the Naval Training Command of the Nigerian Navy Apapa Lagos, said “It was quite exciting and a moment of being together with those who are parents in the ministry. I equally learnt a lot concerning leadership skills in the Church setting and how to move the Church forward and advance the gospel in our contemporary society.”
On how he intends to do with the knowledge acquired Ndas had this to say “I actually intend to step down, to carry issues like Strategic Planning, performance evaluation down to the lower level. To see how these things could be implemented. That as a Pastor, I cannot work without a strategic plan on what to do may be in a period of time, say five to ten years and try to monitor and evaluate to see whether that task is being carried out or not.
“Especially in the military before we carry out any exercise, we always plan, we have objectives and goals as to what we want to achieve at the end of the exercise. I know it is equally going to be great acquiring knowledge at the Leadership Institute in Jos.”