Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and the president of Gemstone Leadership Initiative, Mr. Fela Durotoye, have called on youths to imbibe moral values, especially the virtue of integrity.
The duo spoke at the Y2025 International Youth Day Summit, organised by Lagos Ministry of Youth and Social Development at the weekend. They said the virtues will enable them to build a society based on justice and equity where everyone can succeed irrespective of their background.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said that if youths were to take up leadership positions, they must value time, have integrity, dwell on positivity in word and deed, avoid procrastination, and take full advantage of all the opportunities and resources made available by the state government to succeed in whatever field of life they find themselves in.
The governor, who promised that the state government would continue prioritising the issues affecting youths as the most valuable assets, charged them to see themselves as partners in progress.
The keynote speaker at the event, Mr Fela Durotoye, president of Gemstone Leadership Initiative, whose presentation dwelt on “From Local Impact to Global Influence: Harnessing Youth Power Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” implored the youth to value time and be willing to accept responsibility at all times.
Durotoye described the youth as the most vibrant and unstoppable force the state government should galvanise for growth and development.
Regarding leadership, Durotoye said, “To become a good leader, you must believe in yourself, accept responsibility, commit yourself to action that will solve societal problems, be visionary, be creative and leverage technology. Making an impact can begin with little good things in your locality whose influence can be felt globally, just like Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, whose deeds in various places had an international impact.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, stated that the state needs youths to actualise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Describing the youth as the heartbeat and strength of the nation, Ogunlende stated that this year’s International Youth Day theme, ‘Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,’ pointed out that all hands must be on deck from the grassroots if the state is to be able to.
