THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, says Nigeria needs leaders that will groom the young ones to take over leadership responsibilities from them as they leave office or move to other spheres of life.
He said the absence of such a transition in leadership has remained a setback for the country’s growth.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, made this known in a statement on Saturday.
According to the statement, Gbajabiamila made the call at the graduation of the first 74 trainees of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI) held at the National Assembly on Saturday.
Gbajabiamila said there was the urgency to correct the anomaly so that the country could have a pool of young leaders to draw from at any given time.
The 74 were picked from over 4,000 applicants received by the selection panel, having passed through rigorous screening.
The LMI, an initiative of the Speaker, has the aim of building the next generation of Nigeria’s public sector leaders”, particularly in the legislature.
The 74 participants, drawn from the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, had undergone intensive training in the last five weeks.
“I have always said the lack or failure of leaders to mentor the young ones is the bane of society.
“That is why we introduced the LMI, a robust programme to equip our young ones for the leadership tasks ahead, for governance and for the good of our country,” Gbajabiamila stated.
The Speaker observed that the timing of the training was significant, coming at a period the world faced increasing challenges that would require people of great skills and knowledge to address, especially from among the youth.
He stated: “Distinguished fellows, you are graduating at a time of great uncertainty in the world. We are in a historical moment of great danger, and abounding opportunities brought on by technological advancements, accelerated globalisation, and the reformation of the global economic and political order.”
“As I told you when you began this programme, it is clear to anybody that the old equilibrium is unsettled and the rules of the old order no longer apply. What is less clear is what happens next. Yet, you must count yourselves fortunate because, throughout recorded history, it is in times like this that men and women of talent and ability write their names in gold for all generations to witness.”