Gov. Monday Okpebholo of Edo has said that leadership was not about holding on to power but to create meaningful change or impact on the people.
Okpebholo stated this while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Youth Leadership Clinic on Wednesday in Benin City.
The clinic was organised for secondary school students by the University of Abuja in collaboration with Tetfund’s Centre of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership.
The governor, who was represented by Mrs Joy Adesina, SAN, and student of Public Governance and Leadership, Abuja Leadership Centre, said poor leadership had been a major setback to Nigeria’s progress.
Okpebholo urged the students to always agitate for visionary and impactful leaders.
In the keynote address titled: “Shaping the Future: The Importance of Leadership in Edo State Youth Development”, Okpebholo challenged students to embrace leadership with courage, vision, empathy, and integrity.
“Leaders must be very courageous and have vision; they must display empathy and integrity.
“Discover your strength, set levels, step up, take action, speak out, be the leader that Edo state needs,” the governor urged the students.
Earlier, Prof. Philip Afaha, Team Lead and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, University of Abuja, noted that leadership training should start early and not when individuals assumed positions of power.
According to him, the university observed the “abnormal” lapses, hence reason it commissioned men to catch leaders of tomorrow young from secondary schools.
The deputy vice-chancellor announced that outstanding students from the clinic would be awarded scholarships.
Prof. Gabriel Moti, Director, Abuja Leadership Centre, stressed the need to “catch them young” in leadership development.
Moti regretted how leadership had been an issue in the country for a very long time.
On his part, Dr Paddy Iyamu, Commissioner for Education in the state, lauded the initiative, pledging the state’s support for future training programmes.
