The Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’allah, has reaffirmed the need to train the youth on leadership values to achieve the ‘New Nigeria of our dreams.’
Na’Allah noted this at the third induction ceremony of 140 students from the Abuja Leadership Centre, Tetfund Centre of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership on Friday, in Abuja.
He said the problem of the nation today was leadership, adding that the youth needed to be mentored on time to imbibe the culture of good leadership.
“There is the need to start training the younger ones on good leadership, to ensure that in future they will be able to move Nigeria to that height, where it is supposed to be as a nation,” he uttered.
During his keynote address, the Deputy Vice Chancellor/Director, Abuja Leadership Centre, Prof. Afaha Philip, said the center was established to train Nigerians on the elements of good leadership.
Philip said that leadership was an act that was not inherited but must be taught certain aspects of leadership.
“We understand that everybody is born with some aspect of leadership in them but there are other things you need to be trained on concerning leadership that is why the center was set up for training.
“We are looking at the whole gamut of leadership to see how we can upgrade the status of Nigerians in that sector.
“We say every now and then that leadership is the problem of Nigeria, the center is looking at the possibility of reaching out to Nigerians to cultivate this idea of good leadership,” he said.
He said that the university was making efforts to train Nigerians on how to lead well, adding that it would not be achieved in one day.
He called on the inductees to do more than they have been taught and show what good leadership entails in their offices, communities and wherever they have the opportunity to lead.
