Central bankers and financial leaders have called for a reset in leadership culture built on trust, accountability, and shared values.
At the 2025 Culture Factor Conference held on Friday in Victoria Island, Lagos, senior central bankers from Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda underscored the link between institutional culture, leadership integrity, and effective monetary policy delivery.
Representing CBN governor Olayemi Cardoso, Damina Makut, acting director of human resource management, said the apex bank was deepening its culture reform to build trust and agility within the institution. “We want a culture that helps every staff be proud of Nigeria and contribute meaningfully to the bank’s mandate,” he said. “People must trust the leadership when it speaks. If that trust is lost, credibility is lost.”
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Prisca Ampunuza, director of Strategy and Innovation at the Bank of Uganda, said her institution had introduced a stepwise transformation roadmap after a culture diagnostic revealed weaknesses in communication and collaboration. “We adopted a structured change management plan—coaching leaders, training staff, and identifying resistance points—to move gradually from the current to the optimal culture,” she explained.
Rita Owera of the Bank of Rwanda added that “a culture of credibility starts from leadership behaviour,” noting that consistent engagement and transparent decision-making are vital for sustaining trust within central banks.
Her colleague Agnes Ibara said, “Data and evidence are critical. Culture must be measured and managed just like any policy instrument.”
Organised by The Culture Factor Group, the conference brought together regulators, HR executives, and policymakers from across Africa to examine how leadership behaviour and workplace culture can strengthen governance and institutional effectiveness within the public sector.