The Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies says there is the need for the country to strengthen partnerships, in its quest for accelerated growth and transformation.

The Director of the CIAPS, Prof. Anthony Kila, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

Kila spoke on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony of the centre on Saturday in Lagos.

A total of 53 students of the centre graduated in various programmes.

According to Kila, lack of the zeal in partnership between organisations or persons in  businesses has contributed largely to the slow progress made in various areas of the  country’s economy.

He said: “Today, we are graduating a total of 53 past students of this centre and as well inducting about 70 freshers.

“We also have participants in this programme from four other countries: Ghana, Sierra Leone, Republic of Benin and even Canada, joining us online.

“The CIAPS is a Commonwealth institute that caters for people around the world.

“And as a result of technology, anyone can join us, irrespective of their location.

“We have courses that normally run for three months here and we have a unique module, which is where we teach people how to work in partnership, practice and do projects, the PPP.

“That way, they put into theory what they learn in practice and they achieve this by doing projects and learn how to work with partners.

“Here in Nigeria, we do not have a culture of partnership.

“Almost every person is a sole entrepreneur or trader, operating alone and we believe that the development is hindering our growth as a nation.

“So, we are trying to produce a new generation, who are used to working in partnership, so that everybody will learn to bring that strength together and build something bigger than an individual and we shall get there.”

According to the professor of Strategy Development, the graduating students, who have received their Postgraduate professional qualifications, undertook courses in Education, Health and Project Management.

He said that others also ran programmes in Media and Communication Management as well as Business Management.

Kila noted that the centre was making conscious effort to contribute to national development.

He said: “Our ethos is actually to contribute to the development, creation of job and wealth by preparing people, who can look at the need of their societies and use their capacity to help improve on it.”

The don added that that way, the centre was training people who would go and lead in fundamental areas from finance to education and from health to business and other aspects.

He said that the centre was also training persons on Event Management, adding that it was not just about theory, but rather adding what was specific in their own society to it.

He said: “We train them on how to get the job, employ people or even become researchers.

|That is the practical side of it and with this, we produce professionals capable of proffering solutions to societal needs.”

The Centre Director said that the short term programme was for a period three months, adding that the 70 newly-inducted students would begin theirs this October to conclude in  December.

Kila said that the centre would begin another batch in January 2023.