Funmi Ogundare

The Director-General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Mrs. Funke Adepoju, has been selected as the 2025/2026 Visiting Fellow of the AIG-Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford.

Her appointment places her among an exclusive group of distinguished Nigerians who have received the fellowship since its inception, including former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and former FIRS Chairman, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru.

A seasoned administrator and reform advocate, Adepoju currently leads ASCON with a focus on transforming the institution from a traditional training provider to a national reform hub and reform accelerator.

Her agenda prioritises linking capacity building with reform outcomes, embedding digital governance into public sector training, and aligning with Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2025 (FCSSIP-25), as well as the Renewed Hope agenda.

Reacting to the announcement, Adepoju described the fellowship as both a personal and national milestone.

“This opportunity is not just personal, it is national. The AIG–Blavatnik Fellowship provides a global platform to rethink how management training institutes can evolve into reform accelerators. I am determined to leverage this experience to strengthen ASCON as Nigeria’s reform hub, and to contribute to Africa’s broader governance transformation,” she said.

The fellowship, awarded annually to outstanding public servants from West Africa, offers recipients the opportunity to conduct research, engage in global exchange, and develop innovative governance solutions at Oxford.