CEIBS Nigeria alumni urge executive education for business leaders

The Nigeria Alumni Chapter of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) has urged Nigerian business leaders to embrace executive education that combines global business perspectives with local realities, arguing that such exposure is increasingly important as China’s economic footprint across Africa continues to expand.

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The call was made on Saturday during the induction of the CEIBS Nigeria Alumni Chapter and the launch of its website in Lagos, where business executives, entrepreneurs, alumni, and graduates of the school’s programmes gathered to discuss leadership and business development.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of CEIBS Africa, Professor Gordon Adomdza, said executive education should go beyond theory by exposing participants to global business models that can be adapted to solve local challenges. According to him, executives are likely to find that companies in other parts of the world have already faced and overcome many of the business challenges confronting Nigerian organisations.

“For any problem or any business opportunity that an executive in Lagos faces, there is a company that has tried it and excelled somewhere in the world,” he said. He stressed, however, that the objective is not to replicate foreign business models, but to draw lessons from proven practices and adapt them to local markets.

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China’s growing influence

He noted that China’s expanding presence in Africa has made it increasingly important for African business leaders to understand how Chinese companies operate and engage with partners across the continent. According to him, many African businesses already interact with Chinese firms either directly or indirectly, making knowledge of Chinese business practices an increasingly valuable leadership skill.

“China is increasing its footprint on the continent. An African manager will either be directly dealing with a Chinese company or indirectly dealing with one in most of what they do,” he said. He added that a better understanding of Chinese business models would enable African executives to negotiate more effectively, build stronger partnerships, and develop solutions that reflect local priorities.

Learning beyond the classroom

Also speaking, CEIBS Africa Country Manager (Nigeria), Saidat Lawal Mohammed, said the institution’s China immersion programme is designed to complement classroom learning by exposing participants to the country’s business environment firsthand. She explained that participants interact with entrepreneurs, manufacturing companies, and commercial hubs to better understand how businesses operate and how similar ideas can be adapted to African markets.

Ms Mohammed said the programme also introduces participants to companies such as Alibaba, providing practical insights into how innovative businesses evolved into global enterprises. According to her, the school’s emphasis on experiential learning enables participants to apply lessons from the programme directly to their organisations, rather than treating executive education as purely academic.

Ms Mohammed also announced that CEIBS would extend its Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership for Africa (WELA) programme to Abuja, having previously run it in Lagos and Ghana. She said the expansion would make the programme more accessible to women entrepreneurs and business leaders in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states, eliminating the need to travel to Lagos for classes.