…as Egbewole bags ISMNC Fellowship
By Mustafa Abubakar and Temitope Omoniyi
The Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria (ISMN) (Chartered) has inducted some staff members of the University of Ilorin with the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, conferred with its Fellowship.
` At the event held last Wednesday (September 10, 2025) at the Auditorium Basement, the President of the Institute, Mr. Alex Ndudi Enebeli, commended the foresight of the Vice Chancellor in seeking collaboration with the institute. He charged the new inductees to continue adding value to themselves wherever they are.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Egbewole, said that the University would continue to support developmental drives that would have a positive impact on staff and students. He stated that efforts are ongoing to ensure that interested students are also brought into the Institute.
Earlier, the Guest Speaker, Prof. Mukaila Aremu, Provost of the College of Education, Oro, Kwara State, described strategic leadership as foundational to institutional success.
In his lecture, titled “Strategic Leadership as a Foundation for Institutional Success”, Prof. Aremu noted that strategic leadership is an integral part of management and crucial to any institution’s success. He acknowledged that leaders would continue to face challenges that cannot be resolved using formal authority and powers alone.
The Professor of Marketing noted that while leadership involves inspiring and motivating people, strategic leadership requires deeper vision and foresight.
He said, “Henry Ford dreamed of a car families could afford. Steve Jobs dreamed of an easy-to-use computer that would unleash creativity. Nelson Mandela dreamed of an integrated, prosperous South Africa. The leading institutions in our country will only rise when they are led by strategic leaders with vision.”
The former Head of the Department of Marketing, University of Ilorin, lamented the alarming rate of institutional failures in the Nigerian education sector, which he attributed largely to governance gaps.
He said, “Over the past few years, education analysts have watched desperately as various collapses resulted in huge investment losses. Analysts have attributed this problem to leadership and governance issues.”
Citing recent statistics from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Aremu stressed the urgency of reform.
“Nigeria has over 260 universities, yet our system is overstretched. In 2025 alone, more than 2 million candidates sat for the UTME. The demand for higher education keeps rising, and this further calls for strategic leadership in the management of the university system,” he said.
Prof. Aremu, who has authored over 70 academic publications, shared his leadership experience, stating that “at the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, we have been able to sponsor staff for trainings, conferences, and workshops. Over 20 staff members attained their Ph.D. during my tenure. This is a proof that with purposeful leadership, human capital development can be achieved,” he stated.
He also urged the new inductees not to see leadership as a matter of title alone.
“Leadership has nothing to do with titles. Just because you have a C-level title does not automatically make you a leader. In fact, you can be a leader in your place of worship, in your neighbourhood, in your family, all without a title,” he said.
Prof. Aremu said that strategic leadership is the key to solving Nigeria’s institutional and national challenges.
He said,“Countries do not recover from recession, de-industrialisation, or educational decline in weeks and months. It takes time and persistent effort, but we must have the appetite to take every positive step as soon as it is available. Strategic leadership is, therefore, the key for unlocking these challenges and restoring our institutions and our country to past glory.”
Prof. Aremu commended ISMN for organising the induction, describing it as “a right step towards raising a new generation of leaders capable of repositioning institutions for sustainable growth.”
