Senior Leaders across Africa Attend Inaugural CAG Programme on Building Strong Nations

July 24, 2023
Mr Kenneth Sim, Dean, CAG and Dr. George Scott, Secretary-General of AAPAM, together with guest-of-honour, Hon. Amos Gathecha, Principal Secretary, Kenya State Department for Public Service and participants from the inaugural cohort of Strong Nations for Africa Programme
  • CAG launched its very first pan-african programme in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together senior public sector leaders from 11 countries in Africa to share knowledge and good practices on the tradecraft of building strong nations.
  • The programme curriculum was designed based on CIG’s Strong Nations Blueprint, which provides government leaders with a framework to build nations that are wise, prosperous and unified.
  • The first segment of the programme was focused on helping participants develop shared understanding of the African context, and their role as leaders in stewarding strong nations. As part of that, they reflected on historical lessons from the rise and fall of nations.
NAIROBI (KENYA), 24 July 2023 — After months of planning, the Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG) has officially launched the Strong Nations for Africa Programme with our partner, the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM), in Nairobi, Kenya. Selected from 150 applicants, the inaugural programme brought together 21 senior government leaders from 11 different countries in Africa who collectively bring with them rich experiences from different parts of government. The opening ceremony was graced by Hon. Amos Gathecha, Principal Secretary, State Department for Public Service, Kenya.

The programme is a platform to share and propogate good practices in governance, and to build a community of African public sector leaders who are committed to improving the quality of national governance in their respective countries. It was designed around the Chandler Institute of Governance’s (CIG) Strong Nation Blueprint, which posits that strong nations are wise, prosperous and unified, and led by individuals who steward the nation from one generation to the next.


The first segment of the programme was held at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi from 24-28 July 2023. Over the week, participants were taken through a series of lectures, facilitated discussions and learning journeys. These activities were designed to help participants to develop a shared understanding of the African context and reflect on their role as government leaders in building strong nations.


During his speech at the opening ceremony, Hon. Gathecha spoke about the importance of such programmes in bringing together African public sector leaders to exchange perspectives and learn from one another. He emphasised that joint collaboration and learning was important to help the African continent progress together. He also expressed his gratitude to CIG and AAPAM for having the inaugural run in Kenya and committed his full support to the programme.

Hon. Amos Gathecha, Principal Secretary, State Department for Public Service, delivering his opening remarks

Mr Kenneth Sim, Dean of CAG, expressed his appreciation to AAPAM for the close partnership in conceptualising and delivering this programme, and thanked Hon. Gathecha for the support from the Kenyan government. He emphasised that the programme was meticulously designed to incorporate the African context, while also drawing from international good practices and CAG’s unique revelations embedded within the Strong Nations Blueprint.  
Mr Kenneth Sim, Dean, CAG, sharing his appreciation for the partnership
As part of segment 1 of the programme, CAG facilitated a discussion on the historical trajectory of empires and nations in history, with diverse examples that included the Roman empire and ancient China. Through a careful study of these examples, participants reflected on the reasons for the rise and decline of nations, and the role of government leaders in building strong nations that thrive across generations.
Mr Kenneth Sim, Dean, CAG, sharing the role of public sector leaders in building strong nations by reflecting on historical lessons from the rise and fall of nations
Ms Irene Batebe, Strong Nations Participant, sharing her group’s top 5 reasons for why nations rise and fall  
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About the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG)

The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) is an international non-profit organisation, headquartered in Singapore. We believe in a world where citizens have a deep sense of trust in their governments and public institutions, and where nations are governed by principled, wise leaders supported by an effective civil service. Trust and effective governance serve as a strong foundation for national development and prosperity. CIG supports governments in building government talent, leadership and public service capabilities through training programmes, research initiatives and advisory work. We are not affiliated with any national government or political party, and we do not represent any partisan or commercial interests.

For more news and information, visit https://www.chandlerinstitute.org/ or follow CIG on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @ChandlerINST

About the Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG)

The Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG) is the training arm of CIG. CAG complements and supports CIG’s work by designing and delivering training programmes that are practitioner-oriented, to equip government leaders with capabilities required to meet the realities and demands of public service work. CAG works with its panel of adjunct trainers and subject matter experts in the design and delivery of these programmes.

For more information about CAG, please visit https://www.chandleracademy.org
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Dominic GABRIEL (Mr)
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Chandler Institute of Governance
SIN Xin Ping (Ms)
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Chandler Institute of Governance