Gov Okpebholo: Dearth of Leadership Bane of Nigeria Development

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has described lack of leadership in Nigeria as one of the setbacks against its development

Governor Okpebholo stated this on Wednesday, while delivering the Keynote address titled: “Shaping the future: The Importance of Leadership in Edo State Youth development”, conducted for selected secondary schools in Benin City, capital of the state.

The clinic tagged: Youth Leadership Clinic 2025, was organised by the University of Abuja, Post-graduate students in partnership with TETFUND Centre of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership.

Represented by a student of Public Governance and Leadership of Abuja Leadership Centre, Mrs. Joy Adesina, SAN, the Edo State governor while addressing the students, stated that leadership is not about having power, but about using one’s action and influence to create needed change.

“Leaders must be very courageous and have vision, must display empathy and integrity.

“Discover your strength, set levels, step up, take action, speak out, be the leader that Edo State need,” he urged the students.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Team Lead and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Admin), UNIAbuja, Prof. Philip Afaha, noted that people get to know about leadership when they have stepped into the position, which he said, UniAbuja sees as abnormal, hence the reason why it commissioned men to catch leaders of tomorrow young from secondary schools.

He urged the students to maximize the opportunity given to them through the leadership clinic, promising to give scholarship to selected students that excel in the clinic.

Also speaking, the Director of Abuja Leadership Centre, Prof. Gabriel Moti, noted that leadership has been an issue in Nigeria, disclosing that the clinic was anchored on the principle of catching the them young.

In his goodwill message, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, lauded the Centre for identifying leaders and proffering solutions to leadership crisis.

Iyamu who was represented by Kenneth Eguakun, promised that the state will collaborate with the Leadership Centre to sustain the training.

Other facilitators include a former Commissioner for Information in the State, and House of Representatives member, Abdul Oroh, and a former member of the House of Representatives, Patrick Ikhariale.