The President of Human Capital Africa, Oby Ezekwesili, has reiterated that the ability to articulate and pursue a long term vision that transcends short term political and economic pressures is the key characteristic of strategic leadership.
She stated this in her keynote address at the University of Lagos Business School’s (ULBS) 2025 maiden quarterly business seminar 1.0, held at Tayo Aderinokun Hall.
Speaking on the theme: “Strategic Leadership and Wealth of Nations: The Nexus”, she also urged leaders to learn from Singapore’s Lee Yew strategic and visionary leadership that promotes progressive economic growth.
“A powerful example of this is Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership in Singapore. Under his stewardship, Singapore’s leaders implemented policies that prioritised education, infrastructural development, and the cultivation of a skilled workforce,” she said.
In his keynote address, Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, called for a generation of motivators who can inspire and awaken citizens to the continent’s amazing possibilities.
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He also advocated for a league of maestros who will build institutions, conduct governance effectively and lead nations skillfully and systematically, as well as a crop of trans-generational leaders and nation-builders who think not of the next election, but of the next generation.
“The issues afflicting our nation are fundamental in scale and historical in scope. They strike at the core of our socio-political culture, governance structure and institutional architecture.
“The vision was that of a Nigeria that every Nigerian would be proud of, a nation that would lead the rest of Africa out of colonial bondage into freedom and prosperity.
“One of the key strategies by which our founding leaders sought to achieve this vision was a governance structure that would ensure that every part of the nation was optimally and competitively productive, with each subnational entity having sufficient incentives to develop competitively,” he noted.
In his address, ULBS Director, Mike Adebamowo, said the quarterly business seminar series are designed to generate innovative ideas for effective leadership in the private and public sectors of the nation.
UNILAG immediate past Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, reiterated: “We need people that can move this country forward. It’s not about today. It’s about dreaming about the future and I’m sure that this country will move.
“We need to teach young ones about leadership in schools, churches and mosques. We should teach them that this country belongs to all of us; that’s how we can move this country forward,” he said.