As political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum, the Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Courteville Business Solutions Limited, Dr. Adebola Ismail Akindele, has advocated the adoption of home-grown solutions and governance models to address Nigeria’s peculiar political and leadership challenges.
Akindele made the call while delivering the 4th Faculty of Social Sciences Open Lecture of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, themed, “Politics and Governance in Nigeria: The Leadership Question.”
The business executive and governance advocate argued that many political theories, governance frameworks and policy models imported from other parts of the world have failed to produce the desired outcomes in Nigeria because they were developed within different socio-cultural, economic and historical realities.
He said Nigeria must begin to evolve indigenous approaches capable of addressing its unique leadership, governance and developmental challenges.
“Leadership generally is not rocket science. There is always a template. You become a good leader by building a dedicated team, doing the best for the people and not only for yourself,” he said.
Akindele stressed that governance success should not be measured solely by Western standards, noting that countries such as Singapore and other emerging economies have demonstrated how visionary leadership can transform societies.
Drawing lessons from Norway, he said the Scandinavian country’s strong sovereign wealth structure and social welfare system have enabled citizens to develop trust in government institutions.
“They built a fund that can sustain generations. Their citizens do not have to steal because the system takes care of their welfare. They achieved that not because of democracy alone but because of leadership,” he stated.
The guest lecturer lamented what he described as the dominance of personal interests in Nigerian politics, arguing that ideology has largely disappeared from the country’s political space.
“In many developed democracies, political affiliations are shaped by ideology. In Nigeria, politicians often move from one party to another based on personal interests rather than principles,” he observed.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of defections among politicians and urged Nigerians to critically assess political actors ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, while critics have raised concerns about an emerging one-party dominance in the country, the existence of multiple presidential aspirants across different political parties suggests that democratic competition remains alive.
Akindele further challenged Nigerian youths and university students to begin cultivating leadership capacities through active participation, innovation, decision-making and community engagement.
He noted that solving the country’s leadership crisis would require competent, visionary and selfless leaders capable of placing public interest above personal gains.
Sharing insights from over four decades of experience spanning banking, entrepreneurship, administration and corporate leadership, he encouraged students to remain focused and committed to excellence irrespective of their academic backgrounds.
“Stay focused, be competent and be the best that you can. Leadership connotes followership. Be patient, observant, possess integrity and success will find you,” he advised.
He also drew comparisons between corporate governance and political leadership, explaining that while accountability mechanisms are often stronger in the corporate environment, political leaders must consciously cultivate transparency and responsibility to earn public trust.
“You need to challenge your leaders. Many of them get into office through vested interests and may not necessarily work in the interest of the people,” he said.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, said the institution had developed a sustainable model for producing future-ready leaders through innovative teaching, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition programmes.
Declaring the lecture open, Agboola said the university places premium attention on knowledge creation, value addition and entrepreneurial development to equip students with the competencies needed for leadership and national development.
“How will the value we are creating and the skills we are developing shape leadership and governance in Nigeria? The university provides services that make students better tomorrow,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor noted that many graduates of the institution have excelled globally because of the quality of training received at the university.
He urged students to learn from Akindele’s life trajectory, noting that despite studying Plant Science, the guest lecturer distinguished himself as a chartered accountant, banker, entrepreneur and corporate leader.
In his welcome address, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Dele Odunlami, described the Faculty Open Lecture as a flagship intellectual platform designed to stimulate policy discussions and provide practical solutions to societal challenges.
According to him, the theme of the lecture was particularly significant given the country's approach to another election cycle in 2027 and the continuing debate on leadership and followership in Nigeria.
“We are at the threshold of another series of elections in Nigeria. For a long time, our public sphere has been dominated by debates around the leadership-followership question and the kind of leadership style that is most suitable for national development,” he said.
Odunlami added that the Faculty remains committed to bridging the gap between the town and the gown through research, policy engagement and intellectual discourse capable of driving societal transformation.
He described Akindele as one of Ogun State’s distinguished personalities whose achievements in business, philanthropy and leadership provide valuable lessons for the younger generation
No comments:
Post a Comment