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This annual leadership lecture is the grand finale of the leadership institute to mark successful completion of the course works, by the students. These students must finish and submit all their project works, and have at least 70% attendance of lectures in 12 months. The training is voluntary, where lectures hold once a month, and the participants as well as lecturers come at their own cost.

This year’s annual leadership lecture marked the graduation of 441 students from the institute since inception, and 49 students graduated this year. This is the highest number of graduating students recorded so far in the 6 year history of the college.

In his welcome address, the executive director of Centre-LSD, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, congratulated the students for their determination to make it to the end. He also appreciated the lecturers who come from different places at their own cost to impart knowledge. The staffs of Centre-LSD were also lauded for their selfless service, while he specially thanked KAS for believing in the project from inception even till now. He warned the incoming students to tighten their belts, as the institute will not award certificates to students who miss classes, or refused to finish their assignments on time, as this will comprise the integrity of the college, and render the certificates worthless.

On his part, while presenting the main paper titled ‘Leadership and Societal Development’, Prof. Pat Utomi, a leading political economist and a professor at Lagos Business School, appreciated the lecture came at a time Nigeria is about having transition from one government to the other. He made a comparison of Nigeria after independence and Nigeria now. What has gone wrong that the ethical values of the nation were eroded in a matter of a generation.

He gave an anecdote about the savings of the regional governments in Nigeria that disappeared shortly after independence. He asked what could be the reason for such money to disappear. He explained that to an average Nigeria in this period, the probable answer would be embezzlement. This is actually wrong, as the money disappeared into good development projects, to industrialize the regions at their different paces. Shortly after independence, the leaders had high moral standards which constantly disappeared until the present day about 60 years later, and everybody judges the regional governments of Nigeria according to the current moral standards.

Elucidating on the developmental projects of the regional governments, he pointed out the Western region started the race, which the Eastern and Northern regions followed in hot pursuit. He said the leadership that created such a healthy competition for the regions, and invariably created jobs, infrastructures and opportunities should be promoted in this generation.

He advised that, any government that wants to succeed in Nigeria needs to revamp the civil service.

The graduating students and the new students all showed appreciation in their valedictory given by the outgoing class governor.