Nigerian youths have been advised to be value-based individuals in order to change the face of leadership in the country.

This advice was offered by Mr. Yinka Oyinlola, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Leadership Initiatives (NLI), during the induction ceremony of the fresh 27 NLI Asssociate Fellows in Lagos recently.

Oyinlola said that poor leadership is capable of destroying strong systems and institutions as evidenced around the world where poor countries were turned around by good leaders.

“It is our mission at NLI to ensure that Nigeria is governed by character-driven, value-based and purposeful leaders.

“As a result of that, we believe that if we go with the youths, we will deepen their leadership planning, hopefully at some point they will form a critical mass that will drive positive change in Nigeria,” the NLI boss noted.

According to him, the NLI selected ‘a cohort of 27 very accomplished young Nigerians’ out of 1088 from all over the world who competed for the future leaders’ seminar and took them through 4 days of intensive sessions values, efficiency, community and equality to mention a few.

“Discussing with them convinced me that we chose the best of the bests,” Oyinlola said.

Considering the multiple problems facing the country, the NLI associate fellows have different areas of interests to address if opportune to.

For Adanna Chukwuma it is power and agriculture because according to her, “when there is power, businesses can work and agriculture because the country needs to take advantage of the multiple hectares of arable land, uncultivated.”

Eyitayo observed that the country needs to be reunited in order to move towards one direction of making the country great. “If I were the president, I will find ways of reuniting the nation because that is our ultimate goal, to live together as one.

Secondly, he noted that it would be his priority to strengthen institutions above individuals. “One major challenge with the country is that we strengthen individuals above institutions. That is why ICPC, EFCC, ICC cannot really go after some individuals,” he said.

Speaking at the induction, John Momoh, Chairman Channels Television urged the fresh associates to ensure they maintain network with colleagues stressing that it could be tough but it is necessary.

The broadcast communication guru, who is also the Co-President of the 2015 Associate Fellows, advised the inductees to take risk, saying “It is important to take risk. If you do not take risk you will remain where you are” he said.

According to the Channels’ boss: “risk is an important ingredient needed to make a better person.”

In his vote of thanks, Oyinlola reminded inductees of what to expect as they returned to the world saying: “You are returning to the cage but remember the discussions and initiatives of good leadership.