Structured Advanced Management, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development (SAMEL-D) Fellowship Program

The Structured Advanced Management, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development (SAMEL-D) Fellowship program is a Sustainable Impact Program to support the Civil Service Transformation Agenda of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. This program is designed to address the productivity and entrepreneurial needs of public servants in public service as well as promoting democracy, inclusive governance and public-private-sector partnership to drive sustainable national growth and development. The SAMEL-D Fellowship program is structured to help participants update and upgrade their skills, competencies, knowledge and behaviors that drive productivity, efficiency and effectiveness in public service; and also engaging strategic approaches in preparing them entrepreneurially to become productive during retirement. The strategic approaches will include all but not limited to structured training programs, counselling, coaching and mentoring, internships, step-down assignments, volunteering, monitoring and evaluation. This program will empower participants to serve as ambassadors of positive change while driving excellence, performance and productivity in and after service, promoting democracy, inclusive governance and public-private sector partnerships. Among other proposed impacts of this program are: driving sustainable livelihood, contribute to sustainable job creation, reduce social and health risks and also, building a ready-to-access quality and experienced resource pool of human capitals that will drive sustainable national growth and development initiatives.

The Program is a one (1) year, three (3)-module structured program, scheduled for five (5) days per module at a total of fifteen (15) days for in-class training and thirty (30) days of structured internship that will be suitable to achieving program objectives. The program is expected to run for five (5) years to achieve the proposed impacts.

Two hundred (200) public servants from Federal, State and Local Government levels will benefit from this program annually. The target audience are those in the directorate cadre. The participants will be selected via nominations from their Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Nominees are profiled and screened to ascertain their suitability and readiness for the program.

Participants are taken through a structured intensive workshop administered using effective training and development methodologies, internship and personal projects that are monitored to ensure the program objectives are met. The workshop allows participation of private sector executives which will drive public-private sector networking and partnerships.

The Module One will focus on Structured Leadership Development with Dialogues and Step-Down Assignments; Module Two will focus on Structured Management Development with Dialogues and Excursions; and Module Three will focus on Business and Entrepreneurship Development with Dialogues and Internship. The Dialogue will be Panel Discussions with stakeholders from both the public and private sectors while the Excursions and Internship will be with reputable firms in the areas of Agribusiness, Education and Information and Communication Technology.

The cost of this program per participant (nominated public servants only) is Three Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand-Naira (N3,952,000) only or Nine Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($9,500) only at Four Hundred and Sixteen Naira per Dollar (N416/$) according to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates.  This budget will cover all program phases including all costs accruing to all Training Logistics: venue, workshop bag, program materials, writing aids, facilitation, feeding, accommodation, certificates and workshop transportation allowance; Train-the-Trainer Workshop for facilitators, counsellors, mentors and coaches; Program Monitoring and Evaluation; Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring; First Aid; Media and Publicity; Internship Transportation Stipend; Excursions and Project Grant.

Each participant after passing through this program and having met all requirements will be entitled to Professional Certifications and Professional Masters in Executive Leadership, Management, Business and Entrepreneurship Development; National Productivity and Peace Ambassador Awards; and project grant.

By the fellowship induction, participants will be co-opted into the Alumni Network which further exposes them to lifelong practical learning, coaching and mentoring that will help them continually to rediscover, reinvent, and relaunch themselves towards creating sustainable positive impact both in their workplaces and society.

The program will be done in full collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Centre for Management Development, National Productivity Centre, Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, University of Abuja, Africa Projects Development Centre, Lead Africa Foundation and Public Service Institute of Nigeria.

Currently, the program has one hundred and thirty (130) persons enrolled in the first phase comprising of one hundred and five (105) public service directors and twenty-five (25) private sector executives. The second phase of this program is scheduled to run from November 28 – December 2, 2022 and the third phase will run from May 22 – 27, 2023.