Nigeria: training leaders in foresight

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What Nigeria did

Facing economic hardship, security threats, social unrest and climate-related disasters, Nigeria's National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, in partnership with Peace Building Development Consult, organised a three-day, high-level Leadership Course on Strategic Anticipation and Crisis Management at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre.

Photo by Nupo Deyon Daniel on Unsplash 

How it Delivered

More than 78 participants took part, drawn from federal and state civil services, security agencies, development institutions and the private sector. The training introduced practical foresight tools, including scenario planning, environmental scanning, trend analysis and backcasting, and applied them directly to national priorities such as Vision 2050, climate resilience and youth empowerment.

What Made it Work?

The course treated foresight as a core leadership competency rather than an optional extra, and it mixed sectors deliberately, putting civil servants, security professionals and business leaders in the same room. The emphasis on communication and human security, keeping communities informed and empowered, recognised that anticipation only saves lives if it reaches people.

Future Generations Takeaway

Governance that only reacts will always be a step behind. Nigeria's investment in the anticipatory skills of its leaders is an investment in every crisis softened or averted in the decades ahead. Keeping the future open starts with learning to look at it squarely.

This case study is based on one kindly shared with us by the us by School of International Futures (SOIF) and can be found in their digital implementation handbook: 'One Year in Practice: Stories of Global Action for Future Generations'.  We have updated and expanded some case studies with more recent developments and additional sources where relevant.