Youths should be equipped for leadership
By Gabriel Dike
Worried by the problem of leadership in the country, the Institute of National Transformation (INT) has revealed plans to train about 21,000 students in secondary, universities and other youths in leadership skills.
The INT which clocked 10 last week explained that the proposed training of 21,000 youths would start from January 2018 to 2025 and it said the programme would be handled by experts in leadership, citizenship and other area of national value.
The Director General of INT, Prof Vincent Anigbogu, who briefed newsmen on activities marking the tenth anniversary of the institute, said the INT vision is to transform families, organizations, communities, and nations in Africa, to their highest levels of performance and achievement.
‘’We are encouraged by the little success we had in the last ten years, Institute for National Transformation has decided to scale up training in order to generate greater impact across the nation. We have set a goal to train 21,000 Nigerians across all sectors by the year 2025 starting in January 2018.”
According to him, INT established training centers in eight different countries, Nigeria (in 2008), Uganda (in 2008), Kenya (in 2009), Atlanta, GA, USA (in 2009), South Africa (in 2009), Rwanda (in 2010), the UK (in 2012), and Cote d’Ivorie (in 2012).
Prof. Anigbogu explained that INT has developed and tested training programmes inculcating these national values for different groups in our nation.
He added: ‘’For national transformation to take place, all these sectors must be affected, schools, – primary, secondary, tertiary, special education; government – executive, legislative, judiciary, government parastatals MDAs, NYSC, religious institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations – trade unions, labour unions, teachers unions, regional and community organizations, military and para-military organizations – army, navy, air force, police, business sector and other organizations as identified.”
Anigbogu appealed to government, private sector and other organizations to join hands with INT to raise future leaders that would change the country, stating that the institute has trained over 5,000 persons including school kids in different programmes.
The DG of INT said to achieve the training target of 21,000 persons from 2019-2025, the federal government, state governments, private sector – manufacturers, financial Institutions, oil companies, educational institutions and international organizations would be required to partner with the institute.
‘’The 21,000-2015 training should produce resilient Nigerians who are eager to provide quality service marked by love, strength, faith, heart, and might. It should produce Nigerians that call on the God of creation in prayers to guide our leaders’ right at their various places of responsibility and to help our youth to know the truth, and to work together towards attaining great lofty heights,’’ Prof Anigbogu noted.
He said the most popular course that INT offers is called the Oak Seed Executive Leadership course with over 30 lecture topics on national transformation stating that participants study books such as From Third World to First by Lee Kuan Yew- the Late Former Prime Minister of Singapore; Good to Great by Professor Jim Collins; Fifty Years of African Independence by Martin Meredith.
The director general revealed that INT has made an impact in the last ten years through training of different categories of persons such as in the army, navy, principal officer of universities, state executive council and school kids on leadership.