Dr Alim Abubakre has been awarded Academic Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a recognition that highlights the importance of leadership development and stronger institutions in an increasingly complex global environment.
Following assessment against the CIPD’s Academic membership criteria, Abubakre can now use the designatory letters Academic FCIPD after his name.
The recognition comes at a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping work, geopolitical tensions are altering markets and public confidence in institutions is under pressure.
For TEXEM, which has inspired more than 4,000 leaders globally through its executive development programmes, the quality of leadership is increasingly important because better-informed leaders can make stronger decisions and contribute to more effective institutions.
Organisations now operate across complex networks of employees, investors, regulators, governments, communities and international partners, while technology continues to accelerate decision-making.
Against this backdrop, leadership is being tested not only by knowledge, but also by how effectively leaders judge, listen, learn and act.
TEXEM said its approach to executive development is focused on helping leaders convert insight into action and responsibility into results.
The organisation argued that executive learning should be viewed as part of good governance and nation-building because institutions depend on people to interpret policy, allocate resources, challenge weak decisions, set standards and ensure accountability.
It added that strong leaders should continue learning throughout their careers by testing assumptions, engaging with new evidence and strengthening their ability to make difficult decisions under pressure.
The demands facing leaders are becoming increasingly interconnected, with economic pressure, political uncertainty, technological disruption and governance risks often converging.
Artificial intelligence, for instance, can increase speed and productivity while also raising questions about accountability, trust and human judgement.
TEXEM said no single discipline is sufficient for navigating such an environment, noting that strategy without people can fail in execution, technology without governance can create new risks, and capital without trust can struggle to create lasting value.
The organisation said executive development should therefore help leaders return to real-world pressures with sharper judgement, broader perspectives and a clearer sense of responsibility.
Rt Hon Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, who co-delivered a series of leadership sessions with Abubakre, said the ability to translate academic research into practical leadership courses distinguished the academic.
“Converting the insights of the latest academic research into inspiring, practical and effective courses for political and corporate leaders sets Dr Abubakre apart. It’s great to see him recognised as a Fellow of the CIPD,” Stuart said.
Abubakre’s research has examined stakeholder collaboration during the pandemic across Sub-Saharan Africa and the interconnected barriers facing small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement.
His work has focused on how leaders can make complex systems work better for the people and organisations that depend on them.
Victoria Winkler, Chartered FCIPD, Standards and Professional Development Director at the CIPD, described Academic Fellowship as recognition of expertise, credibility and authority among academics contributing to the people profession.
“Academic Fellowship of the CIPD is a badge of expertise, credibility, and authority. It recognises the vital role that academics play in advancing the people profession through teaching, research, thought leadership and the development of future leaders,” Winkler said.
For Abubakre, the fellowship represents more than a professional credential.
“Recognition should increase responsibility, not simply status. For me, this fellowship is a commitment to make knowledge travel further: from research into teaching, from teaching into organisations, and from organisations into decisions that improve performance and widen opportunity,” he said.
He added that international business ultimately depends on people, trust and relationships, while outlining his intention to deepen the connection between scholarship and practice.
“My next step is to deepen the connection between scholarship and practice, helping leaders understand complex systems better, build stronger institutions and turn insight into action that people can actually experience,” Abubakre stated.
Beyond academia, Abubakre serves as a board director of the Business Council for Africa, providing another link between academic ideas and the realities confronting leaders, investors and institutions across markets.
TEXEM said the increasing accessibility of information through artificial intelligence has made sound judgement even more important.
While leaders can obtain information and answers faster, they still have to determine which questions matter, which interests should be balanced, what risks to accept and what constitutes responsible action.
It said lifelong learning should therefore be viewed as a discipline of leadership rather than a remedial exercise.
According to TEXEM, experience remains valuable, but can become assumption, while success can build confidence that, without curiosity, may become complacency.
The organisation said seniority should increase the obligation to learn because the consequences of poor judgement become greater as responsibility grows.
For TEXEM, the ultimate measure of executive development is whether leaders make better decisions, boards govern more effectively, organisations become stronger, institutions widen opportunity and society experiences the difference.
With more than 4,000 leaders globally having been inspired through its work, TEXEM said leadership development extends beyond individual career progression to the strengthening of institutions that support economic and social progress.
It said the current environment requires leaders who continue learning, govern responsibly, make sound decisions and build institutions capable of outlasting them.
Boluwatife Enome
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