Aregbesola stated this on Saturday in a speech delivered at the 7th Edition of Youth Leadership Summit organised by the Students Executives of the University of Ilorin.
The theme of the Summit was titled: “Leadership Summit, Team struggle to attain justice”.
According to him, due to leadership collapse at the family level, the country is being misled by misguided, badly groomed and disoriented people.
He explained that leadership is not about the people occupying the apex of the ladder, but that leadership at the family level is the most strategic.
The Minister-Designate opined that if the head of the nuclear family discharges his responsibility, probably we won’t have as much problems in our nation as we do now.
He described leadership as the ability to mobilise, motivate and encourage people to do what is good and right.
He also enjoined people to struggle to be fair with justice, in all their dealings.
Earlier in his welcoming address, Prof Sulyman Abdulkareem, Vice-Chancellor of the University said the summit was meant to train and widen the horizon of the teeming young, talented energetic and entrepreneurial minds of the people to take over from the older generations.
Abdulkareem stated that the at the growth rate of 3.2 percent, Nigeria’s population is projected to 289 million people by 2050, with more than 60 percent of this population expected to be youths.
He noted that our leaders should, therefore know that without genuine integrated economic policies that will empower young people and initiate sustained jobs creation plan in preparation for this demographic overshoot, Nigeria faces a dire future.
The VC advised that the projected population growth can either pose a major challenge for Nigeria or a major opportunity.
He said the nation should be willing to unlock this demographic dividend by empowering the youths to play constructive, unifying and innovative roles and fully include them in the country’s development process.
Abdulkareem also warned the youths against violence in the quest to battle oppression, but through the weaponry of the minds which include getting education.
He advised them to shun frivolities as the business of leadership is a serious one that requires adequate attention to the matters of the state.
