OOLI Partners UNILAG for Student Leadership Training

The Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI), Ogun State, in partnership with the University of Lagos, has concluded a four-day intensive leadership training with the theme, ‘Leadership for the Future’, for newly elected student leaders of the university.

In a statement, Media Consultant of the institute, Prof. Elvis Otobo, described the programme as deeply engaging and intellectually enriching, saying that it was designed to shape a new generation of responsible, visionary and values-driven leaders.

According to him, the training opened with a keynote by the founder, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“Chief Obasanjo delivered a profound lecture on the role, objectives and values of leadership, imparting lessons that captivated and engaged the entire audience.

“He presented his renowned 55 objectives of a true leader, highlighting attributes such as achiever, actualiser, analyser, arranger, and communicator.

“The former president also listed decision-maker, encourager, enquirer, friend, and giver as essential leadership values,” he said.

Otobo said that Obasanjo also emphasised 15 core values of good leadership, which include integrity, honesty, dependability, patriotism, and orderliness.

He added that the former president also highlighted tolerance, trustworthiness, and peace, among others.

The media consultant further stated that the training featured an impressive lineup of facilitators from academia, civil society, mental health, finance, law, business leadership, and transformational leadership development.

He said that their respective sessions complemented the ex-president’s keynote address and provided practical, real-world tools for effective leadership.

Otobo said that the training also combined plenary sessions, interactive engagements, emotional intelligence laboratories, constitutional literacy workshops, financial management training and leadership reflections.

“These facilitators enriched the training with insights spanning governance, activism, emotional intelligence, financial stewardship, constitutional literacy, communication and global leadership trends.

“The training also witnessed the presence and support of senior officials of UNILAG, among whom were the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Dean of Student Affairs Division, Prof. Musa Obalola.

In her closing remarks, Ogunsola thanked the former president for his “legendary and monumental” contribution to leadership development in Nigeria and the continent.

She also commended the OOLI Board of Directors for championing the course for leadership development in the country.

According to Otobo, one of the facilitators, Lady Anne Welsh, CEO and founder of Painless Universal, United Kingdom, delivered an inspiring session on resilience in goal pursuit and leadership.

He said that Welsh emphasised determination, self belief and the power of personal adversity, as a catalyst for transformational leadership.

He noted that the highlight of the programme was the visit by participants to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Museum, the zoo and the Olumo rock, to enrich their cultural and historical understanding of leadership.