As Nigeria inches toward another election season, government and civic leaders have urged young Nigerians to stop waiting for power to be handed to them and instead embrace volunteerism, discipline, and service as the pathway to leadership.
The message was at the heart of the Nigeria@65 Conference organised by the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) in Abuja on Tuesday, with the theme “Restoring Values and Volunteerism Among the Youth.”
Director-General of the CLTC, Rinsola Abiola, said the event was convened in collaboration with Aspitah Global Resources, the United Nations Inter-Agency Group on Youth, the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) and their parent organisation, LEAP Africa, to reignite civic consciousness and value-driven leadership among young Nigerians.
“At 65, our nation stands at a critical point where restoring discipline, empathy and national service has become indispensable to our collective growth,” she said. “Every act of volunteerism, no matter how small, contributes to the greatness of our country.”
Abiola said volunteerism was the foundation of true leadership and called on youths to take charge of Nigeria’s future by first serving their communities.
“This event provides a platform to reflect on the principles that once defined us as a people and to chart new pathways through which our youth can reclaim the spirit of volunteerism — an ethos that drives active citizenship and national renewal,” she added.
Her call was reinforced by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Malam Lanre Isa-Onilu, and other senior officials who attended the conference. They noted that the future of Nigeria depends on the willingness of young people to lead by example, rebuild trust in governance, and volunteer their time and talent for national progress.
Representing the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Head of Enlightenment and Reorientation, Aisha Mohammed, told participants that the agency considers civic engagement and integrity education central to nation-building.
“It is in recognition of the power of youth engagement that the EFCC established clubs in schools to get young people involved in activities that make them better citizens,” she said. “Volunteerism is a vital tool for developing the country.”
She urged the youth to see integrity as a personal duty and volunteerism as a patriotic call, not a burden.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, also reminded young Nigerians that service to the nation remains the true test of leadership.
“For over five decades, the NYSC has been a platform for national service and unity,” he said. “Young Nigerians are not mere beneficiaries of Nigeria — they are its chief architects. Our focus now is to deepen the impact of the scheme by linking volunteerism with entrepreneurship and national development.”
He added that the NYSC would continue to collaborate with the CLTC to equip young Nigerians with the skills, exposure, and civic values needed to drive development.
In a goodwill message, the National Commander of Man O’ War Nigeria, Gbenga Adedamola, described volunteerism as a way of life and the soul of patriotism.
“The future we seek cannot be built by government alone; it requires citizens, especially young people, who are ready to serve, to lead, and to build,” he said. “Man O’ War Nigeria remains fully committed to nation-building through civic engagement and the reorientation of our youth towards positive values. Let’s make volunteerism a culture, not just an act.”
Delivering the keynote address, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, tech entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Future Africa, said Nigeria’s greatest challenge remains the failure of leadership, not the failure of leaders — a distinction many have missed since Chinua Achebe’s famous 1983 declaration in “The Trouble with Nigeria.”
“Most people misinterpret Achebe’s statement as ‘the trouble with Nigeria is a failure of leaders,’ and this is the genesis of our leadership problem,” Aboyeji said. “Leaders and leadership sound remarkably alike but they are not the same. In Nigeria and in Africa, we often mistake the two. We think our problem is leaders rather than leadership.”
He explained that leadership is not a title or privilege, but a shared cultural awareness that empowers people to influence and bring others together for a common goal.
“Leadership is a cultural awareness that each of us, whether or not we are in a position of authority, have the ability to influence and bring people together in service of a common goal,” he said. “It is mastery of this ability that makes you a good leader, not whatever fancy title you bear or position you occupy. That is why great societies spend a lifetime identifying and cultivating leadership in their young people.”
Aboyeji lamented that Nigeria’s obsession with a “messianic leader” has led many citizens to outsource their own responsibility to politicians.
“Because we confuse leadership with leaders, we believe all Nigeria needs is one authentic, altruistic and competent leader who will magically become President and change everything. But this messianic leader we pine for is a dangerous fantasy,” he said. “By making leadership one man’s job, we deny ourselves the agency required to demonstrate leadership across different levels of society.”
He called on the youth to take ownership of the country’s future and build leadership capacity through service, innovation and resilience.
“We must teach our youth to be resolute, responsible, resourceful, resilient and relentless,” he said. “Our generation can either roll up its sleeves and build, or consign itself to the dustbin of history.”
Similarly, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, said the enduring truth of Achebe’s thesis still holds true today.
“We still get nostalgic about the public service of old that conferred honour on service to the nation,” he said, lamenting the erosion of moral values in governance. “The youth bulge can be our greatest asset if properly mentored, engaged and empowered.”
He urged the younger generation to see public service as a noble calling and not merely a career path.
“Reform must make public service a noble vocation again,” he said. “We must rethink incentives and workplace culture to align with a generation that values innovation, flexibility and purpose.”
In her goodwill message, Latifah Isah, CEO of Aspitah Global Resources, told the youth that leadership begins with character.
“Do what is right even when no one is looking,” she said. “We do not want to be citizens who only complain about our leaders. Let us be good citizens so we can become good leaders.”
The United Nations Resident Coordinator, speaking as a UN volunteer, added that even the smallest act of service can transform communities.
“I have seen how small acts of kindness can light up dark spaces,” she said. “When young people rise to serve, then the soul of the nation can be reborn.”
The conference climaxed with the Youth Leadership Debate Finale, an initiative of LEAP Africa, where young minds from universities across the country showcased intellect, patriotism and vision for Nigeria’s future.
After a spirited contest, Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University (formerly Benue State University) clinched first place, represented by Esther Nguuma Dodo and Blessing Ehigocho Oigaba, who won ₦2.5 million and two laptops. Lagos State University’s Obadimeji David and Saheed Sunday emerged second, winning ₦1.5 million and two tablets, while University of Uyo’s Effiong Favour and Umoren Blossom came third, earning ₦1 million and two mobile phones.
