On Saturday, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo told Nigerian youths to know that they are not the leaders of tomorrow; rather, they are leaders of today.
He also advised them to remain dedicated and committed to the fight for educational equality and not to relent in the search for solutions to the problems affecting the education sector.
According to him, Nigerian youths must champion different innovative solutions at every level of society and across different sectors.
He said, “Please do not let anybody tell you that you are leaders of tomorrow, you are leaders of today.”
Obasanjo urged the youths to be ambassadors of change and to also advocate for freedom and justice in the country.
He also noted that over 14 million Nigerian children are deprived of education and opportunities that will help them develop their abilities and become a useful commodity to themselves and their communities at large.
“It is evident that at this point, to transform our education system in a sustainable way, Nigerian youths must take up leadership positions.
He said this at the virtual 2020 Fellowship Graduation Ceremony of the second cohort of ‘Teach for Nigeria Fellows’ which came up on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that ‘Teach for Nigeria,’ an NGO, graduated 161 fellows who had impacted approximately 9,660 students in 80 schools across Lagos, Ogun, and Kaduna states.
‘Teach for Nigeria’ focuses on developing a movement of leaders across Nigeria who are committed to putting an end to educational inequity.
“It is inspiring to see the work that ‘Teach for Nigeria’ is doing to equip promising future leaders with the skills and experience to drive the change that we need.”
He also added that the leaders had dedicated their time, energy and resources to inspire a love for learning, improved educational outcomes, and enhanced life opportunities for children in the classrooms.
“As a result of your commitment, your pupils have succeeded at various academic and non-academic competitions.
“I recently learnt about pupils of ‘Teach for Nigeria Fellows’ who came second in the National Lafarge Competition and other scholarship opportunities.
“They also initiated actions by working with stakeholders such as parents, community members, heads of schools and other teachers,” Obasanjo said.
