‘Youth Leadership Key To Sustainable Development’

A retreat tagged “2025 Basic and Post-Basic Education Head Boys and Girls Leadership and Mentorship” has been described as a vital platform for grooming future leaders capable of driving sustainable development in Nigeria.

The retreat, held in Kafanchan on Tuesday, had the theme “Nurturing Young Leaders for Sustainable Development. “It brought together head boys and girls, educators, mentors, and community leaders for training and inspiration on responsible leadership.

Delivering the keynote address, the Rector of St. Charles Borromeo Minor Seminary, Madakiya, Rev. Fr. Romanus Jega, emphasised that society’s future depends on young leaders who are visionary, morally upright, and committed to service.

He called on schools and communities to prioritise mentorship and provide platforms for students to develop their leadership potential.

Goodwill messages from dignitaries also highlighted the initiative’s importance. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, who spoke through a representative, Air Commodore Musa Aileru, urged the students to cultivate discipline, integrity, and patriotism, stressing that leadership must begin early in life.

In his remarks, Mr Daniel Amos, the Member representing Jema’a and Sanga Federal Constituency, commended the organisers for creating what he described as “an incubator of future leaders.”

He encouraged the participants to apply the retreat’s lessons to their daily lives and serve as positive change agents in their schools and communities.

Similarly, the Chairman of Jema’a Local Government Area, Mr Peter Tanko, who was equally represented, pledged the council’s support for programs that empower youths through education and leadership training.

He noted that nurturing leaders at the grassroots was essential for long-term development.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Godspeed Leadership and Mentorship Development Initiative, GLEMDI, Mr Habila Kayit, who organised the retreat, said the program was conceived to equip student leaders with the discipline, exposure, and values required for effective leadership.

He expressed gratitude to the dignitaries and partners for supporting the vision.

As part of the program, tree seedlings were presented to the participating schools, symbolising the link between leadership, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.

Salama News reports that the retreat is expected to, in the next year, sharpen the leadership skills of head boys and girls and prepare them for greater responsibility in building a sustainable future.