For any house to be built, a foundation must be laid. This is same for any project. The solidity of the foundation determines how strong and durable the house or project would be.
Thus, for meaningful development to take place in a given society or nation, a solid foundation must be laid.
This seems to inform the reason for the existence of various leadership bodies globally and in Nigeria particularly, training young people especially students on leadership and development.
Abuja Centre for Leadership in conjunction with TETFUND Centre of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership, University of Abuja, on Thursday, organized a one-day Youth Leadership Clinic where they trained students to embrace service, integrity and civic responsibility as leaders of tomorrow. Those are the building block of national development, said the organizers.
The event held at the Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba, on Thursday, with the theme “Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders”, brought together senior prefects and students leaders from 14 schools across Delta, Edo, Bayelsa States.
The focus was on nurturing civic responsibility, accountability and ethical leadership in young people.
Rose Ezewu, Delta State Commissioner for Education, in her goodwill message on behalf of Delta State Government, commended the organisers for what she described as a “timely and laudable initiative.”
At a time when our nation is in need of responsible, visionary, and patriotic leaders, such engagements are crucial in shaping the character and mindset of our young people, Ezewu said.
She urged student leaders to embrace service as the foundation of leadership and to carry lessons from the clinic back to their schools and communities.
On behalf of the Ministry, she reaffirmed Delta State’s commitment to programmes that build leadership capacity and civic consciousness among students.
Philip Dahida, a professor and director, Abuja Leadership Centre, explained that the centre has become a hub for advanced leadership studies and policy research, producing graduates who now serve as political leaders, bureaucrats, and senior military officers.
He emphasized that the centre’s mission is not just academic but also geared toward finding practical solutions to Nigeria’s leadership and governance challenges.
He cited examples of graduates whose research tackled critical governance issues, including the need to hold both leaders and followers accountable for Nigeria’s development challenges.
“The centre is producing leaders who are not just certificated but capable of providing solutions to policy depletion, leadership quagmires, and governance bottlenecks,” he said.
In his remarks, Marvel Akpoyibo, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police observed that Nigeria’s underdevelopment is primarily a leadership problem.
He advocated for early training of young people in leadership values, saying: “We are catching them young to imbibe traits that will make them better citizens of our dear country. With good leadership, development will be rapid, and Nigeria can compete globally.”
Earlier, Winifred Elikwu, coordinator of the Abuja Leadership Centre for the Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa contingent, explained that the programme was designed to establish the link between citizenship, participation, and leadership.
“Citizenship gives you the values, participation gives you the practice, while leadership is the result,” she said, stressing that true leadership is citizenship in action.
The clinic combined lectures, group deliberations, and feedback exercises to ensure participants internalized the lessons.
Schools were also tasked to present what their student leaders had learned at their morning assemblies and submit recorded clips as part of feedback to the centre. ENDS//
