By Balarabe Oshiafi
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku has said that for Africa to overcome its protracted leadership challenges, the continent must engage in the deliberate nurturing of leaders.
According to Neliaku, bad leadership has done incalculable damage to Africa, particularly in Nigeria, calling for deliberate efforts to nurse and groom passionate leaders to activate numerous latent potentials of the country.
In his lecture titled, “Leadership and Politics: Towards a Paradigm Shift for Africa”, during the induction ceremony of masters and doctoral students of Abuja Leadership Centre (ALC) at University of Abuja on Saturday, Dr. Neliaku noted that good leaders do not just emerge, but are groomed and prepared to render services.
While describing bad leadership as an anathema in the life of Nigeria, he expressed delight that through such initiatives like ALC, the society is beginning to build a new generation of Nigerians that will build a new Nigeria.
“If you don’t groom good leaders, don’t expect to have one. What is going on here today is grooming good leaders, but I call it ‘growthing’ new leaders that will have a new mindset to give new leadership to Nigeria”, he stated.
Stressing the importance of serious investment in the process of training leaders, he said that it took about 10 years of intensive research for the Nigerian Prize For Leadership (NPL) the organisation he serves as the Executive Secretary to set up a proper leadership grooming structure as a platform to give leadership training to young Nigerians.
Speaking on what looks like a paradigm shift in Nigeria, he commended the Federal Government for appointing nine youths as Ministers and called for more inclusivity in other components of the society, such as people with disabilities.
The NIPR President thanked the Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah for his roles in ensuring that the ALC is fully activated for optimal functioning and urged the inductees of the centre to demonstrate leadership in every sphere of influence.
Earlier in his remarks, Prof. Na’Allah said that the Centre plays a critical role in the development of sound leaders in the country in line with the vision of the nation’s liberation fathers, applauding TETFund for citing the centre in the university.
While warning the inductees to stay away from acts capable of bringing the name of the Centre to disrepute, he said that the university will not hesitate to disown any individual found in the act of wrongdoings.
“We want them to become true leaders of our country. No corruption, no manipulation, but total interest and patriotism for Nigeria. We want them to have skills to be good leaders of this country”, Prof. Na’Allah noted.
According to the Director of the Centre, Prof Philip Afaha, a total of 140 inductees were enrolled at the 3rd induction ceremony.
