The Abuja Leadership Center at the University of Abuja has identified poor leadership among children from a very young age as one of the factors hindering Nigeria's development, adding that there is a need to develop the right leadership qualities in children from a very young age.
The observation was made during the leadership skills training of secondary school students over the weekend in Lokoja on the theme “Empowering the Next Generation Leaders” to enable them to become agents of national unity, change and solidarity for governance.
The clinic, funded by the TETFund Center for Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership, aims to equip youth with leadership skills and values so that they can become agents of positive change in their communities.
Director of Abuja Leadership Centre, Philip Dahida, stressed the importance of leadership training to equip youths with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in leadership roles, saying this is the only way to address leadership problems in the country.
Presented by Adewale Banjo, Dahida stressed that leadership starts at home and youth should be taught leadership qualities from an early age.
“Leadership qualities are essential to drive the developmental agenda at all levels of society. You need a strong foundation, good education and the right values to provide effective leadership at all levels,” he said.
Japhet Omoy, Coordinator of the Kogi/Kwara Youth Leaders Clinic, said the initiative is aimed at nurturing emerging transformational leaders through mentorship programmes.
“We want to empower the youth with leadership skills and values so that they can become agents of solidarity for national unity, change and governance,” he said.
