Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has urged Nigerian youths to rise above social vices and take responsibility for inspiring positive change in their respective communities.
Prof. Olatunji-Bello made the call in Abuja during the Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZETSI) Africa Leadership Conference 3.0, where she emerged as “Vice-Chancellor of the Year” for her exemplary fight against social immoralities at LASU.
The Vice-Chancellor in her keynote address at the conference,described the surge in social vices as a reflection of poverty, weak institutions, and poor governance.
According to her, these vices often emerge as a “silent rebellion against a failed system”, where corruption appears more rewarding than integrity and hard work goes unnoticed.
She, however, urged the youth to redirect their creativity, skills, and resilience towards nation-building.
She explained that the analytical skills behind betting could transform the financial sector, the digital ingenuity misapplied in fraud could power global technology companies, and the loyalty misused in cultism could be harnessed to build movements of peace and innovation.
The Vice-Chancellor who was honoured by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement and ZETSI Africa with the special leadership award, expressed optimism that Nigeria could rise under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assuring young people that “renewed hope is emerging” and that “Nigeria will work again”.
To illustrate her point, Professor Olatunji-Bello cited LASU’s transformation over the past years, recalling how the institution, once riddled with cultism and other vices, is today celebrated as the most sought-after university in Nigeria.
She attributed her success to purposeful leadership and some of the measures introduced, including stronger security and surveillance, encouragement of sports and social clubs to counter cultism, the establishment of the War Against Drug Abuse Club, the abolition of harmful sign-out rituals, and the enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence through the Centre for Response and Prevention of SGBV.
These, she said, were deliberate interventions to create an environment where students thrive positively and responsibly.
Concluding her address, the Vice-Chancellor challenged young Nigerians to change their outlook, urging them to shift “from hopelessness to hope, from cynicism to faith, from blaming leaders to becoming leaders, and from rebellion through vices to resistance through creativity, innovation, and moral courage”.
She emphasised that the destiny of Nigeria rests as much in their hands as in those of public office holders, calling on them to take responsibility for shaping their future and that of the nation.
The conference, which brought together over 1,000 students from tertiary institutions across the country both physically and virtually, was chaired by ZETSI Africa’s Chairman, Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulrazak Imam, while the First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq was the Mother of the Day.
It featured several prominent speakers, including the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Comrade Asefon Sunday; the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Solomon Adodo; and Managing Partner of Law Corridor, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, among others.
In his own remarks, Ambassador Imam described the ZETSI conference as more than a gathering, but a movement of young Nigerians determined to reclaim their future from the grip of destructive habits.
He stressed the need for a generation of leaders who are not only intellectually sound but also morally upright.
As part of the day’s proceedings, the Students Against Immoralities (SAI) Club was inaugurated - a platform designed to strengthen the campaign against social vices across Nigerian campuses.
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