ACE Programme Launches at UNILAG to Boost African Chambers
By: Abudu Olalekan
Tuesday. UNILAG campus. Akoka. Sun beating down. Heat hugging the air like a thick blanket. Inside the lecture hall? Quiet. Then—a murmur. Andrew Wilson stepped up. His eyes scanning the room. “Its not just training,” he said. “It’s about leaders who’ll change Africa’s game.”
The crowd leaned in. Chambers and associations across Nigeria? They’d been waiting for this. The ACE Programme. Officially launched. Not just another workshop. No. Something bigger.
Prof. Ogunsola nodded. “Rigorous academics? Yes,” she said. “But also hands-on tools. Real stuff. The kind that gets things done.” A young chamber executive scribbled notes. “Finally,” she whispered. “Someone gets it.”
Toki Mabogunje remembered Kenya. “Saw chambers grow there,” he said. “Membership up. Engagement better. Now Nigeria’s turn. ACE bridges that gap. Theory to practice. Finally.”
CIPE’s Kenyan work? 16 chambers strengthened. Governance better. Stakeholders engaged. Wilson smiled. “Institutionalizing ACE at UNILAG,” he said. “Creating homegrown experts. They’ll replicate this across Africa.”
First cohort starts January 2026. 40 hours intensive. Hybrid model— in-person at UNILAG plus online. Governance. Finance. Anti-corruption. Digital systems. All covered.
But the real story? It’s the hope. In that room? People believed. Finally, something real.
Outside the hall? The sun beat down. Cars honked. Life went on. But inside? Change was brewing.
A young entrepreneur wiped her eyes. “Finally,” she said. “Someone gets it.”
The AC hummed. Sun beat down. But inside? Hope. Real hope.
Chairs creaked. People shifted. A woman in the front row clutched her notebook. Her knuckles white. “This changes everything,” she whispered.
Wilson stepped closer to the mic. “It’s not about certificates,” he said. “It’s about power. Real change.”
Prof. Ogunsola added: “Benefits extend beyond Nigeria to entire African business ecosystem. Supporting trade. Investment partnerships. This is how we grow.”
Mabogunje nodded. “ACE isn’t just a program,” he said. “It’s a movement. Leaders gain strategic insight. Hands-on skills. Chambers thrive. Innovate. Represent business interests effectively.”
Wilson stressed: “By institutionalizing ACE at UNILAG, we’re creating long-term platform. Homegrown experts. They’ll replicate these successes across Africa.”
First cohort starts January 2026. 40 hours intensive. Hybrid model. In-person at UNILAG. Online sessions. Covering governance, finance, compliance, anti-corruption, communication, digital systems.
But the real story? It’s the hope. In that room? People believed. Finally, something real.
Outside? The sun beat down. Cars honked. Life went on. But inside? Change was brewing.
A young entrepreneur wiped her eyes. “Finally,” she said. “Someone gets it.”
The AC hummed. Sun beat down. But inside? Hope. Real hope.
