My belief in young leaders unleashed wonderful talents – OBIANO

When it comes to leadership, it’s all about the legacy you leave behind. For Willie Obiano, the former Governor of Anambra State, one of the standout aspects of his time in office is his dedication to bringing up young talent in governance. Really believing in the idea of ‘catching them young,’ Obiano opened the doors wide for young professionals to step into key roles in his administration. A pretty groundbreaking move was when he appointed Mark Okoye, who was just in his 20s at the time, as Commissioner for Budget and Planning. That was a big moment for Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

“My belief in young leaders was exemplified in my decision to appoint Okoye to various strategic roles, culminating in his historic appointment as Nigeria’s youngest commissioner in the Fourth Republic.”

In a recent chat with BusinessDay News Editor (Online), Temiloluwa Bamgbose, Obiano shared some thoughts on his style of leadership. He talked about the strategic roles he handed over to these young leaders and how their fresh ideas helped shape up Anambra’s economy and governance. Plus, he gave us some insight into Okoye’s fast climb in public service and why enabling the next generation is so critical. Excerpt…

As governor of Anambra State, you were renowned for giving opportunities to young men to serve, including those in their 20s. What was your role in Mark Okoye’s public sector career?

I played a pivotal role in shaping Mark Okoye’s public sector journey, recognising his potential early and entrusting him with critical responsibilities that significantly impacted Anambra’s economic and governance landscape.

During the 2013 electioneering, Okoye, at 28 years old, was a member of the team that draughted the first version of the Obiano Manifesto (later to evolve into the Anambra Economic Blueprint) and developed the organogram to guide the Willie Obiano Campaign Organisation. He was selected as a core member of a brainstorming team that included Mike Meze, James Eze, Mac Atasie, and others, who finalised the Anambra Economic Blueprint.

Okoye played a key role in integrating the passage of the draft bill to establish the Anambra Investment Promotion and Protection Agency into the campaign’s quick-win agenda.

Would one be right to say that was the reason you reappointed him as Senior Special Assistant on Investment?

Okoye was directed to collaborate with then Speaker Chinwe Nwaebili to ensure the swift passage of the ANSIPPA Bill for endorsement into law, which was accomplished within 26 days of my swearing in for a second term. He was appointed as the pioneer Executive Director of ANSIPPA, working alongside the late Joe Billy Ekwunife, who served as the pioneer Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer. He oversaw public-private partnerships and strategy efforts, facilitating many landmark private investments.

The investments he oversaw include Coscharis Farms (access road construction and transfer of the strategic grain reserve), where the largest rice mill in the South East/South South is now located; Lynden Farms, Igbariam, the largest poultry project in the South East/South South, by securing 75 hectares of land, fast-tracking building permits, and managing community issues. He supported the completion and operationalisation of Onitsha Shopping Mall, in partnership with Africa Capital Alliance, and spearheaded the PPP with Temple Syc to establish roadworthiness inspection centres across the state.

As a member of the Anambra Economic Think Tank, Okoye was appointed as a member of the high-level economic advisory body that I chaired, which included commissioners from key ministries such as Finance, Budget, Lands, and Trade and Commerce.

This is a lot. Are there other strategic initiatives that he played a role in?

Okoye drew the framework for the Anambra State Power and Electricity Committee.

Read also: The future of Nigeria’s leadership: Why investing in human capital is no longer optional

How did he become Special Adviser on Budget, Planning, and Investments?

After the House of Assembly suspended Okoye’s confirmation as Commissioner for Budget and Planning, I still believed in him, so I appointed him as my Special Adviser on Budget, Planning, and Investments. In this role, he oversaw the Ministry of Budget and Planning, a testament to my commitment to empowering young, competent leaders.

As special adviser on budget, planning, and investments, what value did he add to your administration?

Under that role, Okoye designed and supervised a $150 million economic stimulus package in response to the 2016 recession, covering over 20 policy interventions (tax cuts, conditional cash transfers, small and medium-sized enterprises funding, etc.), which helped grow the state’s economy by 0.9 percent to $12.5 billion by Q4 2020.

He always accompanied me to National Economic Council meetings, providing advisory support on sub-national and federal government economic coordination. He represented me on federal boards, committees, and foreign investment trips, including the NEC Ad-hoc Committee on Ecological Funds chaired by then Governor Nasir el-Rufai, Niger Delta Power Holding Company board meetings chaired by then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and many other high-level assignments.

How did he eventually become Commissioner for Budget and Planning?

On Okoye’s 30th birthday, I re-nominated him for the position of Commissioner for Budget and Planning and requested immediate confirmation from the House of Assembly. Upon confirmation, he became Nigeria’s youngest commissioner since the onset of the Fourth Republic.

In all these, what would you say were the key achievements during his time?

He led the preparation of medium-term multi-sectoral plans valued at $1.5 billion over three years and budgets of approximately $500 million per year. He achieved an 80 percent budget implementation rate year-on-year and maintained a recurrent-to-capital expenditure ratio of 55:45.

Working with the leadership of the Anambra Internal Revenue Service, co-developed a clean database of over 300,000 individual taxpayers and over 20,000 corporate taxpayers. He managed relationships with key development partners (World Bank, European Union, Department for International Development, United Nations agencies, etc.), overseeing programs and projects valued at approximately $100 million yearly.

He also led state-wide efforts to improve the business environment, achieving the fifth most improved state in the World Bank Subnational Ease of Doing Business Rankings (2018), seventh overall in Nigeria, and first in the South East and among Southern Nigeria’s 17 states (2021).

In fiscal transparency, Okoye ensured that Anambra ranked among the top five states in Nigeria for budget transparency and fiscal sustainability under BudgIT’s assessments throughout his tenure as commissioner and served as Anambra’s focal person for the Federal Government-assisted Social Investment Programme, widely recognised as one of the best-performing in the country.

He played a key role in setting up the World Bank-assisted Anambra State Community Social Development Programme, judging it the best-performing among all participating states.

Everyone around you seemed confident of Okoye’s potential and believed he would perform. How did that happen?

I recognised Okoye’s public sector career talent early, entrusted him with key responsibilities, and provided the necessary mentorship and support to enable him to succeed. My confidence in Okoye’s capabilities helped me to implement critical economic and governance reforms that strengthened Anambra’s fiscal health, improved investment inflows, and enhanced the ease of doing business in the state.

My belief in young leaders was exemplified in my decision to appoint Okoye to various strategic roles, culminating in his historic appointment as Nigeria’s youngest commissioner in the Fourth Republic. The impact of his tenure—shaped significantly by the opportunities and mentorship I provided—continues to contribute to Anambra’s growth and economic resilience.