Covenant University, Otta in Ogun State, Nigeria, has expanded its enduring commitment and vision to raise a new generation of leaders as it inspires secondary school children and youths in its endeavour to nurture emerging leaders for the continent.
Speaking during an expanded emerging leaders workshop organised by the
Covenant University Conference on Leadership and Development (CUCLeD) recently, various presentations at the seminar that featured about 10 secondary schools emphasised the need to extend the mission to a critical mass of youths in Nigeria and Africa to achieve sustainable results.
It could be recalled that the conference on leadership and development debuts in 2024 and attracted over 160 abstracts, 81 full papers and three keynote speakers from 57 universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and educational resources centres across Nigeria, Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States Of America.
In his welcome address at the workshop that featured current student leaders at every level of council, associations and class representatives, among others, at the CUCRID Auditorium, Professor Moses Duruji, Chair of the local organizing committee explained that the pre-conference workshop tagged: “Cultivating the Leaders of Tomorrow” targeted young people for nurturing in leadership skills, particularly in the context of the continent.
This, he submitted, would go a long way in ensuring that society improves, saying the secondary school age bracket is important because the African population of young people constituted about 60 per cent of the continent.
He said, “When you look at leadership roles across all sectors, you discover that youths are not playing important roles. They are being dominated by the elderly in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s, who are not giving them the space to express themselves.
“However, we know that the youth have qualities that, if well tapped and well polished, could go a long way in redressing some of the backwardness, such as poverty and conflicts, and those terrible and awkward developments to become a thing of the past.
“So the essence of focusing on the youth is trying to equip them with the skills and also inspire them to take leadership responsibilities in their various spaces, and by so doing, we will witness tremendous improvement in society. “
He reiterated that Covenant University was founded on the vision and philosophy of raising a new generation of leaders, adding that the pre-conference workshop served as a platform to expand the vision by bringing young people who are leaders in secondary schools, and other universities, to be able to expose them to some of this knowledge that will go a long way in helping them to begin to play and take leadership roles in the various spaces they occupied.
Dr. Dayo Odukoya, Dean of the College of Leadership and Development Studies, in his presentation, emphasised that character is the foundation without which could lead to leadership failures.
He said, “Competence is crucial in practical skills such as emotional and financial intelligence are essential for effective leadership.
Dr. Odukoya emphasized that Africa’s greatest need is leadership, and Covenant University is actively addressing this need by nurturing young leaders equipped with both values and practical skills.
According to him, “The goal is to equip these youngsters with the tools they need to become effective and ethical leaders, ultimately contributing to national transformation.”
Prof Jide Adekeye, the institution’s immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor explained that leadership is not about holding on to power or knowing it all but about vision, integrity, trust, collaboration, being consistent and standing by what is right, admission of mistakes, keeping to promises, being the same person in public and private and making positive long-term impact to guarantee sustainable development.
Speaking on how to cultivate character, he urged the youngsters to know their values and be honest, saying leadership from within is about building strength of character such that what people see in you on the outside matches who you are on the inside.
He added that the workshop aims to cultivate leadership qualities in young secondary school students by teaching them vital skills and principles.
Attendees at the conference include King’s Gift International School, Ago-Iwoye; The Masters Builder College, Idiroko, Ogun State; Gold Scholars Model School, Lagos and Miebibel International School, Iyesi, Ota.
Others are Africa Youth Festival, Lagos; Iganmode Grammar School and Rolli International School, both in Ota, Ogun State, among others.
