By Adedapo Adesanya
African Development Bank (AfDB) has made a case for the transformation and proper financing of education for a new Nigeria.
The call came from the President of the multilateral financial body, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, at the maiden 2020 Prize Presentation Ceremony and Graduation of 53 Leadership Ambassadors organised by the Nigerian Prize for Leadership (NPL) in Abuja on Saturday.
The event was themed Leadership Excellence and the Secret of Weaving Diversity into National Cohesion and Mr Adesina said that to produce effective leaders, the society must hold the leaders accountable for the roles they played in national development.
He noted that there was need for a rigorous learning culture that would challenge the youths on skills development and creativity.
”Leaders are change agents for good governance. For the Nigeria we hope for, we must prepare and build a leadership pipeline that will translate to effective management of human capital.
”It is important for leaders to listen to public opinions. Those who give up easily in the face of criticism are not leaders. Leaders always have clear visions and keep visions simple.
”Effective leaders must learn to appreciate diversity and desire development.
”The culture of rigourous learning enables strong academic and mental growth and exposes global interactions and it fosters excellence.
”There is therefore urgent need for a massive rebirth and proper financing of a new education system for a new Nigeria as well as full transparency of governance system,” he said.
The AfDB president called on the youths to learn from the history of past leaders as a way to redirecting their steps toward becoming successful leaders.
He also charged leaders to reinvent their approach by focussing on youths and unleash the entrepreneurial capacity in them (youths).
Meanwhile, Mr Jerry Gana, Chairman, NPL Prize Presentation Ceremony Committee, said that the youths must insist on good leadership as a criteria for moving the country forward.
Mr Gana said that the time to embrace leadership in value was now noting that the nation could not function without good leadership.
”The vital question of good leadership is fundamental, it is key for any society to move forward. If you don’t have good leadership, things may not move forward.
”In other words, good leadership brings excellence leading to positive transformation of any society. Therefore to move the society forward the key thing is to insist on good leadership.
”There are those who may think that the focus on leadership is a waste of time, but we believe that it is time to insist on good effective leadership with values, leadership with the kind of quality that move things forward is now.
”And we need to insist that the nation settles for a culture of excellence in leadership,” the former Minister said.
Also, Mr Anya Anya, Chairman, Governing Board of NPL said that body was an intervention by some eminent Nigerians to chart a new course for new leadership in the country on a sustainable basis.
Mr Anya said that there was also need to inspire Nigerians to lead a life larger than self to have a country worthy of emulation among nations of the world.
NPL is currently conducting a month-long intensive leadership transformation training for young Nigerians, within the age brackets of 21-35 years, selected from the six geo-political zones of the country and the FCT.
