Don Urges Reform, Mentorship Across Nigeria’s Political Landscape

Esther Oluku

Leadership scholar and Director of the Centre for Leadership and Empowerment, Greater Manchester, Prof. Christian Harrison, has urged Nigerian youths to shun emotional reactions to national issues and embrace vision, critical thinking and deliberate leadership development to overcome the countryside recurring leadership crisis.

Speaking against the backdrop of recent political tensions and rising social-media outrage, Harrison said young Nigerians, who constitute about 70 per cent of the nation’s population remain the most vulnerable to political manipulation because public discourse is often driven by emotion rather than reason.

According to him, “During crises, people naturally react emotionally, but emotional impulsiveness weakens decision-making. Social media makes manipulation easier because there is more drama than substance. If our youths continue celebrating chaos instead of thinking critically, Nigeria cannot progress.”

Harrison stressed that Nigeria must rethink how it prepares young people for leadership, insisting that leadership “must be cultivated, not awaited.”

He said he developed the VERSED Model to guide young leaders in building key competencies, adding that vision remains the most critical requirement for 21st-century leadership.

“Every young leader must have clarity about the kind of future they want for their community or nation. Without vision, there is no progress,” he stated.

He advocated the integration of leadership studies across the entire school system, from primary schools to universities, arguing that early exposure would strengthen national capacity and reduce susceptibility to manipulation.

He urged federal and state governments to introduce reforms that support youth political inclusion, noting that other nations such as Finland and Burkina Faso have produced young transformational leaders because of deliberate empowerment policies.

Harrison also identified mentorship, formal and informal, as a critical pillar of leadership development. He said young people need role models they can relate to in order to build confidence and understand how political systems work.

Offered guidance to aspiring young politicians who feel discouraged by Nigeria’s political landscape, he said: “Be the change you want to see; embody the values you desire in the system. Don’t give up before you start—don’t die before you’re dead. And finally, stay informed and stay engaged. Leadership begins with awareness.”

Expressing optimism about Nigeria’s future, Harrison maintained that sustainable reform is achievable if young people are empowered today, adding that national transformation “will come from the youth.”