Author: The Nation

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of South West Development Commission (SWDC) Dr Charles Akinola has called for deliberate collaboration between business thinkers and policy shapers to foster Nigeria’s transformation. 

Akinola made the call in his keynote address at the maiden annual lecture of the Alumni Association of University of Ibadan School of Business. The lecture was themed ‘The Power of Collaboration: Alumni as a Catalyst for Business Growth and Societal Transformation, and Building Legacies.’

Other speakers include the immediate past Managing Director of First Bank PLC Dr Adesola Adeduntan; Dr Adebola Akindele and Mr Godwin Odah. 

Akinola, who harped on the need for a  deliberate collaboration  between business leaders and policy makers, said “Business provides energy, innovation, and risk appetite; policy provides stability, scale, and systems.

“Imagine a partnership where alumni of business schools and alumni of policy schools work hand-in-hand, one designing sustainable business models, the other shaping regulatory frameworks that allow those models to flourish.

“That synergy is how Singapore built its competitiveness, how Rwanda re-imagined governance, and how the Nordic nations transformed welfare into wealth.

“We must reproduce that model here in Nigeria through intentional partnerships between our business thinkers and our policy shapers. The alumni network is the perfect incubator for such collaboration.”

Highlighting the strategic link among network, knowledge and talent to the transformation of the society, the SWDC boss posited: “Knowledge gives us depth — it is the light that guides decision and innovation. Network gives us reach — it extends our influence beyond geography and sector. Talent gives us force — it converts insight into execution.

“When these three combine, collaboration becomes catalytic. It turns a classroom relationship into a lifelong partnership and an alumni body into an economic powerhouse.”

He reinforced his position with the example of how the SWDC is institutionalizing collaboration to achieve true legacies in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda  

He said: “At the South West Development Commission, we are turning collaboration into policy and practice.

“Our One Economic Bloc Strategy seeks to integrate the economies of the six South West states into a single competitive region, creating a seamless regional market for goods, skills, and investment.

“We are building partnerships with universities to establish innovation hubs, working with the private sector on industrial corridors, and engaging the diaspora to bring home both capital and competence.None of this can succeed in isolation. It takes the combined effort of public institutions, private investors, academia, and civil society.

“This is what I mean by collaborative federalism development through partnership, not competition. It is collaboration at scale: government, business, academia, and communities co-creating a better future. The alumni community can mirror this approach an ecosystem rather than an association…

“The sub-theme “Building Legacies” reminds us that legacy is not what we leave behind, but what we set in motion. We build legacies when we design systems that outlive us.

“As Chinua Achebe said, “The story is our escort; without it, we are blind.” Let our story be one of service, integrity, and innovation of men and women who used knowledge, network, and talent to change society.

“Whether in business, governance, or academia, let us institutionalize our values. Let our companies become models of sustained ethical excellence.Let our networks become platforms for inclusion. Let our leadership inspire trust across generations.”

Earlier, Dr Adeduntan pointed out that the era of individual efforts was over, stressing that the dynamics are now in favour of collaboration whether in business, academia or governance. 

His words: “Globally, growth is no longer about individuals but by networks of people and groups. The world economy has become extremely inter-dependent and connected through collaboration. The era of independent efforts driving growth is over – in business, governance and academia…

“Alumni networks could serve as strategic reservoir of expertise, relationships and influence. They pull relationships and influence together.”

He also said that alumni associations weee already shifting from social events to economic activities that drive innovation, entrepreneurship and prosperity. 

“Inclusivity enhances creativity. We need to rethink the focus of the alumni groups to create values for members. That value orientation is very important for us.” He said. 

While welcoming participants, the president of the association Prof. Olugbenga Mokunolu, 

said the association was determined to support the university, adding that it will continue to support the UI School of Business, mentor future leaders and current colleagues to help them navigate professional landscape successfully.