The theme of the maiden forum, billed for this month is: “Youth Leadership for Sustainable National Development.”
According to the spokesman for the university, Adeosun Oluwaseun, participants include students selected from various tertiary institutions across the country, senior secondary school pupils and young professionals of diverse career paths, as well as business executives, diplomats, government officials and select members of the public.
He said the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) will deliver the keynote address; while Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) will be the guest speaker and the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode will be the chief host at the forum scheduled to take place at the Metropolitan Club Hall, Victoria Island, Lagos this week.
Other analysts and discussants at the forum include the Academic Director of Pan-African Conferences, Lagos, Prof. James Tsaaior; Director-General, Institute for National Transformation (INT), Prof. Vincent Anigbogu; the Regional Marketing Manager, West Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Omotola Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi; Chairperson, FBN Insurance Brokers and the General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Folake Ani-Mumuney.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Debo Adeyewa, said that “as a world class tertiary institution, the university and BrandiQ were undertaking this venture because of their firm belief in preparing the youths for leadership positions.”
As one of the foremost private universities in the country, the Vice-Chancellor said the university firmly believes that leadership selection and grooming is a planned enterprise, and that serious nations embark on it in order to ensure continuity of socio-economic and political progress that serve the common good.
“This is why all our graduates are equipped with the relevant leadership skills-set that prepare them to face the challenges of the 21st Century. We are a research-based institution that is globally renowned for research and academic exploits. The university’s modules are deliberately and strategically designed to produce knowledgeable and confident graduates, who can stand the pressures of life and adapt to the ever changing situations in our dynamic society. In particular, the university nurtures the students with the spirit of entrepreneurship so that its graduates would be in a position to create jobs, rather than rely on government employment, which is now indeed scarce,” Adeyewa added.
On his part, the co-Convener and Publisher of BrandiQ, Mr. Desmond Ekeh, further explained that the goal of this event was to ignite in the Nigerian youths, at very early stage, the consciousness for purposeful leadership.
“We want to follow this path because we know that development is fundamental. So, if we nurture the mind while it is still fertile, we will in future reap a basketful of disciplined, God-fearing, virtuous, committed, visionary and honest leaders to sustain the future development of the country,” he added.
Source: New Telegraph