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Lead Without Title (2)
Late ‘Generals’ and ‘Generals’ that lost stars:
Some big organizations that used to be ‘commander-in-chief’’ of their respective industry segment are no more today because they chose to lead with titles. One of such is Polaroid. Polaroid used to be a four –star General and Commander-in-Chief of photography business. But when digital technology for photography came out, ‘General Polaroid’, ( as king of photography with several past laurels as number 1 in this and that) felt it was a fluke, so it failed to embrace it and stayed with its traditional instant image photography technology. Of course, General Polaroid died in the 1990s and was buried in 2001. Similarly, Xerox lost to Sharp photocopier machine when it abandoned the lower-end of the market for high-end market segment. In a jiffy, sharp pulled the rug off the feet of General Xerox. Happily enough, General Xerox has learnt its lessons. General Daewoo, on the other hand, did not have a second chance- it collapsed and died instantly.
Some four-star Generals lost one or two stars to competition. Sonny of Japan used to be a four-star General in electronics and gaming. But it lost to Samsung and Ninentedos. Microsoft lost to Goggle in World Wide Web search engine technology by embracing it two years late. Dell computers eroded IBM market in personal computers in the 1990s because General IBM led with its title as the first and biggest personal computers maker in the world. Sonny, IBM and Microsoft lost grounds to competition in critical segment of the markets because they reasoned and executed as ‘’titled chiefs’’ or Generals, at a time they should not have led with title.
Meanwhile, we have some companies which have imbibed the culture of leading without title like: Nokia, Easy jet, Google, Linux, Red Bull, and Apple among others. These companies remain restless insurgents in words and actions without relying on titles.
In the paragraphs that follow we shall itemize five building blocks which organizations need to put in place to win in the market place without parading their titles:
Building block 1: Groom the ‘Joshuas’’ well ahead of time: not a few corporate analysts were surprised recently when the CEOs of Merrill and Citigroup were laid off and it was embarrassingly discovered that there were no successors on the wings to take over immediately. This is a mistake which most organizations keep making repeatedly. According to research carried out by James Collins and Jerry Porras: ‘of the 18 successful companies studied, only four times – in a combined years of 1700 years! – did one of them go outside the firm for a CEO’. It is only when companies consciously identify and groom the future leaders ahead of time will they escape the temptation of always wanting to lead with title.
Building block 2: Model Insurgent Leadership: to win in the present dog-eat- dog market place of the 21st century, organization needs to focus on delivering the win, the whole win and nothing but the win by erecting an idiot-proof strategy that delivers the win. Globalization cannot be shut out, it can only be beaten says Tony Blair. Many CEOs in Europe and America and Nigeria are having sleepless nights because of the Chinese insurgence marketing strategy. Companies that will be around for the next two decades are the ones which model the insurgent leadership and create a more results-focused aggressive spirit among its employees.
Building block 3: Choose your destiny by defining the future. Winning companies are the ones who can see the road ahead, successfully articulate it and come up with products that customers will require at the right price and quality before competition.
Building block 4: Remain Paranoid. Companies that get scared and remain scared play to win and don’t play to lose, and ride ahead of today’s waves of change will always be two steps ahead of competition.
Building block 5: Culture is king. Cult-like companies bow down to their ideologies and bounce back faster when they are faced with challenges in the macro economic milieu; unlike companies without strong in-built culture. One of the most sustainable competitive advantages for CEOs is the development of what I call ‘’ownership culture’ as opposed to ‘we’ vs. ‘they’ culture that obtains in most companies today between the management and board on one hand, and the employees on the other hand.
In conclusion, what leading without title teaches the CEOs and employees is that they must beware of success. As Robin Sharman succinctly put it: ‘The more successful you and your organization become, the more humble and devoted to your customers you need to be.’
Akano, CEO of New Horizons, is an IT specialist and one of the World’s top coaches in sixth sense corporate strategy
News
NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
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Horn of Africa Leaders Seek Enhanced Digital Integration for Increased Regional Growth

Finance ministers and development partners from the Horn of Africa have called for enhanced digital integration to boost trade, drive economic growth and promote regional stability during the 25th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).
Held in Nairobi, on July 14, the meeting was co-chaired by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo and Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh. Discussions underscored the critical role of digital integration in reducing trade barriers, boosting government service delivery and creating employment — particularly for the region’s youth.
“Digital technologies are shaping today’s economy and tomorrow’s industries. By embedding these technologies into our programs, we can not only improve inclusion but also leapfrog outdated development models,” said Nwabufo.
She called for digital integration a “central enabler” in each of the Horn of Africa Initiative’s pillars – trade, infrastructure, resilience, and human capital,
Learning through experience
Drawing from global and regional success stories, speakers highlighted the transformative potential of technology-led development. The ministers pointed to the Philippines as a strong example, where ICT has generated millions of jobs in business process outsourcing. Similarly, Kenya’s fintech innovation—especially the success of M-PESA—was cited as a model for scaling digital financial services across the region.
Participants urged governments to proactively foster digital ecosystems by capitalizing on the demographic dividend, identifying infrastructure upgrades, tighter regulatory reforms, and digital skills trainings as priorities to enable broader participation in the digital economy.
Minister Egeh reiterated the need for more coordinated regional efforts to create the enabling environment required for accelerated digital integration and expansion. He referenced the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023 which provides a blueprint on how to address key obstacles to achieving effective digital integration across the region.
Barack Makokha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, underscored the importance of regionally-aligned public private partnerships and advocated for blended financing to reduce investment risk and expand digital access in underserved areas.
World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ndiame Diop, called for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach, combining cross-border coordination, large-scale financing, robust policy support, and digital infrastructure investments. He pointed out that such measures could transform digital integration into, “a powerful engine of economic transformation” for the Horn of Africa—ensuring no one is left behind in the digital era.
The meeting concluded with a shared recognition that sustained political will and the determination to implement a multifaceted approach are essential to unlocking the region’s economic potential and driving long-term growth.
The event also welcomed observers from the East African Community, Agence française de développement, and Shelter Afrique, reflecting strong regional and international backing for the HoAI in the development community.
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CSCS Inaugurates Custodian Portal to Enhance Digital Access, Operational Efficiency

Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.
It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.
Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.
He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.
According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.
“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.
“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”
The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.
He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.
Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.
“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.
“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.
“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.
The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.
All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.
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