In 2011, GlobeScan provided an grant of €7,700.00 to a candidate from Africa with a commitment to sustainable development. The Scholarship allowed the selected participant to participate in all core modules of LEAD training so that they may graduate as a LEAD Fellow.

Isa Yunusa Chedi

LEAD Fellow, MGIS, MNES
ICT Unit, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Kaduna, Nigeria 

View Isa Yunusa Chedi's LinkedIn Profile

Isa Yunusa Chedi is Head of the Kaduna Zonal Office of Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agenxy (NOSDRA)

NOSDRA is a government environmental regulatory agency that is entrusted with the responsibility of regulating oil & gas activities in Nigeria. It is also the lead agency in oil spill management including Oil Spill Contingency Plan activation, monitoring of cleaning up and remediation of oil impacted site; oily waste management, etc.

As the Head of the zonal field office Yunusa is responsible for managing and coordinating all activities of the Agency at the zonal level. The Kaduna Zonal Office covers the entire northern Nigeria with the exception of three states (i.e. Adamawa, Taraba and some part of Kogi States). Yunusa is in charge of planning, coordination and implementation of the Action Plan of the zone. Yunusa is also responsible for allocation of resources for carrying out a particular task especially relating to regulation of oil and gas companies and an intervention between operating companies and host communities for the purpose of mediation and compensation for oil pollution within the jurisdiction of the Kaduna zone. He manages the GIS laboratory for the purpose of geospatial database update and data retrieve.

Yunusa visited GlobeScan’s head office after completing the Leadership for Environment and Development Fellowship at the LEAD International Session and spoke to the whole company about his experiences in environmental administration in Africa, commenting that the Fellowship had improved his leadership skills, ability to manage people and improved his approach to issues response, as well as providing him with pan-African contacts to coordinate with colleagues on the sustainability and environmental issues management agenda.

What did the LEAD training mean to you, and what impact has it had - personally and professionally?

LEAD Training is a program aimed at identifying potential world leaders with a view to ensuring that the concept of sustainable development is inculcated in them. Thus, having passed though the training at different levels, I came to realize how important the training is to me at personal and professional levels.

Without doubt, the training has profoundly helped me in building self-confidence. It has also equipped me with the ability to visualise in a holistic manner complex problems; identify inter-linkages and eventually develop workable solutions. Another profound personal impact gained from the training is the need to ‘walk the talk’, i.e. to put my knowledge into action especially on sustainable development issues. I have also been utilizing the LEAD’s network in obtaining information from other countries on some issues that has to do with good governance and environment.   

LEAD Training has also added another dimension to my approach to work with other people. I came to realize how important it is to carry each member of my team along. And how imperative it is to identify the needs of communities before implementing a community project.

LEAD training for me therefore, is a learning experience that has helped in changing my general attitude and behaviour toward people and the environment.