Mr Tajudeen made this call on Tuesday in Abuja during the launch of the Leadership for Equity, Advocacy and Development (LEAD) Fellowship. The event was organized by the Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI).
Represented by Kafilat Ogbara, the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, the Speaker said young Nigerians need knowledge, ethical values, exposure to institutions, and leadership skills for effective public service.
“It is high time we prepared young people for power. As the trustees of our tomorrow, they must understand how government works and how to use political office to change society for the better,” he stated.
Mr Tajudeen called the fellowship an investment in Nigeria’s democratic future. He pointed out that young people are already involved in governance as voters, innovators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
“The youth are no longer merely the leaders of tomorrow; their time has come,” he added.
He also emphasized the need for more women and people with disabilities in governance, saying their participation is key to democratic legitimacy. The Speaker reaffirmed the House’s commitment to a proposed constitutional amendment for special seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.
He highlighted challenges like insufficient campaign finance, exclusion from party structures, cultural stereotypes, and electoral violence as major obstacles to women’s political involvement.
Mr Tajudeen urged the fellows to focus on addressing societal issues instead of just seeking political power. “Nigeria does not need a generation that is simply more ambitious than the one before it. Our nation needs a generation that is wiser, more ethical, more inclusive, more technologically advanced and more institutionally minded,” he said.
Omowumi Ogunrotimi, the Executive Lead of GMI, shared that the 18-month LEAD Fellowship aims to fill gaps in leadership development and help student leaders transition into public service.
She mentioned that the program will train 1,000 student leaders from 10 tertiary institutions, exposing them to leadership training, mentoring, policymaking, and democratic institutions.
Mrs Ogunrotimi described the initiative as a solution to what she called a “democratic formation deficit.” This is when young leaders face patronage, exclusion, and transactional politics.
She also pointed out a “transition deficit,” stating that many capable student leaders graduate without clear pathways into governance and policymaking. “We are intentionally incubating 1,000 student leaders across 10 pilot institutions. Our ambition is to cultivate women and men whose exercise of leadership will be defined by ethics, constitutionalism, evidence, inclusion and an unwavering commitment to service,” she said.
Akin Rotimi, the Spokesperson of the House, urged the fellows to prioritize character, competence, and service over political power. “Strong institutions require capable leaders. Leadership must therefore be identified, nurtured and developed,” he said.
He stressed that young people should not be spectators in governance. The House has continued to engage youths through policy dialogues and its National Assembly Youth Engagement Strategy. He encouraged the fellows to embrace apprenticeship, build competence, and serve before seeking recognition.
“Leadership demands character, competence, discipline, empathy and commitment to the common good,” he said.
Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), represented by Shuaibu Danwanka, called LEAD an investment in ethical leadership, democratic resilience, and inclusive governance.
Mr Sulaiman stated that Nigeria needs leaders whose skills match their integrity and whose authority is exercised responsibly. He warned that if we do not intentionally nurture ethical leadership early on, young people might repeat negative practices in public institutions instead of reforming them.
“Unless we intentionally nurture ethical leadership, democratic values and a culture of service at this formative stage, we risk producing future leaders who replicate these negative practices in our public institutions rather than reforming them,” he said.
He promised NILDS’ support for the fellowship through research, democratic education, legislative capacity development, and strategic partnerships.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇