Ndace at VON* Building Bridges, forging alliances, *BREAKING NEW GROUNDS

*Ndace at VON* Building Bridges, Forging Alliances, and *BREAKING NEW GROUNDS*

By Abdulwarees Solanke

Voice of Nigeria

As head of  Strategy Department at Voice of Nigeria, it is inexcusable of me to miss any outing of the new Director-General of the Corporation, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, because it is at such events that a CEO has the opportunity to articulate his vision and seek mutually beneficial partnerships because in today's public management where government entities are constrained by limited resources, it is partnership, cooperation and collaboration that sustain them.

Therefore, last Thursday, I was part of a star-studded  management team of VON that joined Ndace to visit the management of *The Trust Media Group* and the *National Orientation Agency.*

At both events, it was more of a family affair than strange bed fellows seeking to understand one  another, for at personal and professional levels, Ndace was no stranger to each of the chief executives of either entities. 

At the second visit of the day, it was indeed an awesome opportunity where the resonant voice of our  nation, and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the guiding light of public enlightenment, united to champion our national culture and combat fake news.

Reminiscing on his visit to NOA later, Ndace could not hide his joy as he enthused:

*We were warmly received by my esteemed big brother and senior colleague, Alhaji Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director General of NOA, who shares our enthusiasm to reach a global audience with essential messages*

During the meeting with the NOA team, Ndace gave a vivid  takeaway  that hinged on a strategic initiative towards crafting a national culture for Nigeria. Said he, *we discussed the soon-to-be-launched National Lifestyle Charter, an initiative of NOA set for unveiling on January 16, 2024, by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris – a pivotal step towards defining our national culture*

But it's not just about national culture or National Lifestyle Chater that the two CEOs were unanimous on; Ndace and Onilu were also in convergence in their perception of Mr. President's  performance so far as they 

 acknowledged  *the unwavering commitment of President Bola Tinubu to reposition the minds of Nigerians, steering away from negative thoughts and upholding the oneness of Nigeria.* 

They also appreciated  the commitment of the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, towards creating an open and accessible public communications outlet for Nigerians to promote their culture and brands. 

Mallam Ndace therefore used the visit to restate the readiness of VON to play a strategic role in driving national transformation as he acknowedged thst *VON stands ready and eager to collaborate with all MDAs and private concerns in realizing President Bola Tinubu's GCFR Renewed Hope Agenda*

He also assured that the international radio was dedicated to playing its part *in advancing initiatives that contribute to the greater good of our nation, we are also ready to narrate the vibrant Nigerian story and restore trust in our institutions,*

At the very engaging meeting, Ndace's appeal to all stakeholders in the Nigerian Project was bold and definitive,: *Let's continue working together towards a brighter and more collaborative future*

Indeed, the success of any corporate player lies in how he understands and appreciates what we call MSC values in strategic management language, with M standing for Mission, S for Stakeholders Support, and C for Capacity and Competence

So far in less than three months of assuming office, Ndace has demonstrated a clear understanding of the mission and vision of VON, Secondly, he surely knows that he needs the support of all stakeholders and he's not excluding anyone as he recognises contributions of past chief executives of VON while seeking partnerships from every possible stakeholder.

 Finally, he is seeking to enhance, increase, or develop the capacity of VON in all ramifications to meet the challenges of the moment and tap into the possibilities of the future. 

Remarkably, Ndace is proving to be a transformative public manager in his deftness at building bridges, forging alliances, and BREAKING NEW GROUNDS in Voice of Nigeria.

And he is enjoying the support of all and sundry in the corporation. I am one as I see him  fitting  perfectly into the league of those leaders who adopt a generative approach in public management as opposed to the forceful, directive,authoritarian ones or those we regard as reactive leaders or even the adaptive ones whose style is unintentional⁶

These three other approaches in public management suffer from a fundamental flaw of lack of sustainability. Ndace's stylwxř

Abdulwarees. a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management is Head/Deputy Director of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development at Voice of Nigeria 

korewarith@yahoo.com 

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