Gbajabiamila: Nigeria Must Deliberately Invest in Next Generation of Leaders

* More than 80 LMI graduates serving in State House, National Assembly, ministries, agencies

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has called for deliberate investment in young Nigerians, declaring that the country’s democratic future and institutional development depend largely on preparing a new generation of competent, ethical and committed leaders.

Gbajabiamila, who is also the founder of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI), said young Nigerians must be equipped with the knowledge, character, practical experience and institutional exposure required to contribute meaningfully to governance rather than wait until they occupy positions of authority before learning the responsibilities of leadership.

He spoke Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the fifth cohort of the LMI Fellowship Programme, where he disclosed that the initiative had received more than 7,000 applications for the latest edition, from which 50 fellows-in-training were selected through a competitive process.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives explained that the initiative, established in 2022 to mark his 60th birthday, was conceived to bridge the gap between the enthusiasm and leadership potential of young Nigerians and their limited access to practical knowledge of public institutions.

According to him, his over three decades of experience in public service, including his successive positions as Minority Leader in the 7th House of Representatives, Majority Leader in the 8th House and Speaker of the 9th House, exposed him to the need to deliberately prepare young people for leadership.

He said: “When we started LMI in 2022, our ambition was clear. We wanted to build a community of intentional, well-trained young leaders whose ideas, integrity and courage would strengthen public institutions and contribute to the future of our country and our continent.

“Throughout my journey of national service, I encountered many young Nigerians with intelligence, energy, ambition and a genuine desire to serve. They had ideas. They had the capacity. They had the desire. What was often missing was access to practical training, experienced guidance and the opportunity to understand how public institutions work.”

Gbajabiamila stressed that young people should not be compelled to wait until they attain positions of authority before acquiring the knowledge and exposure necessary to discharge public responsibilities effectively.

He added that providing young Nigerians with access to governance institutions should be regarded as an investment in democracy and national development rather than an act of political favour.

“A young person who understands how a bill becomes law, how a budget is considered, how public policy is developed and how a constituency is served, is not a threat to those institutions. That young person is an asset to our nation,” he stated.

The founder disclosed that the LMI had evolved from a fellowship programme into a growing institutional platform, with more than 80 of its previous fellows currently serving across the state House, National Assembly, federal and state ministries, departments and agencies, state legislatures and the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL) Secretariat.

He added that some graduates had also secured international volunteer placements in other African countries through the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps.

According to him, the programme’s first four cohorts had trained and graduated 218 fellows, while the completion of the fifth cohort would increase the number to 268.

He explained that the placements were deliberately incorporated into the programme to ensure that participants did not merely acquire theoretical knowledge but also gained practical experience in the workings of government institutions.

Gbajabiamila maintained that the ultimate success of the initiative would not be measured by the number of certificates issued or the identity attached to its graduates, popularly known as the ‘Gbaja Fellows,’ but by the quality, integrity and impact of the public service they would render.

He said: “The legacy of LMI will not be defined by the number of certificates issued or because they are called Gbaja Fellows. It will be defined by the unique quality, integrity and impact of the public service they shall render.”

The Chief of Staff also commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, for sustaining and strengthening the initiative despite the change in leadership of the lower legislative chamber.

He described Abbas as a confident and exceptional leader who had chosen to build on the achievements of his predecessors rather than discontinue programmes established by previous occupants of the office.

“In some cases, when one principal leaves office, the next often tries to erase his achievements, but a confident leader takes those achievements and actually builds on them.

“And I dare say Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, is not only a confident leader but a great one; and a man I call an ally, a brother and someone who has played the role of a father to the fellows of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative,” he said.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the LMI Planning and Advisory Committee, its management and operations team, the selection committee and institutional partners, including TAF Africa, the Leadership Advancement Foundation, Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Bank of Industry, UN Women, United Nations Development Programme, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Gbajabiamila urged the 50 fellows selected for the fifth cohort to approach the three-week intensive programme with seriousness, discipline, curiosity and an open mind.

He challenged them to learn, unlearn and grow, stressing that their selection from thousands of applicants should make them more conscious of the responsibilities attached to the opportunity.

He further urged them to respect institutional procedures, demonstrate humility and recognise that becoming an effective leader also required the ability to work responsibly within a team and follow established leadership structures.

“An important part of becoming a good leader is learning to be a responsible team member and, when required, also a good follower,” he said.

The founder also charged the fellows to extend the benefits of the mentorship programme to other young Nigerians by sharing their knowledge, mentoring those coming behind them and creating opportunities for others.

In his remarks, the Secretary-General of CoSPAL and Chairman of the LMI Planning and Advisory Committee, Ambassador ‘Dapo Oyewole, disclosed that the fifth cohort attracted more than 24,000 expressions of interest, with over 7,000 completed applications received before 50 candidates were selected.

Oyewole described the initiative as a growing institution that had moved beyond leadership training to provide practical opportunities for young Nigerians to participate in governance and public service.

He said the programme had so far trained and graduated 218 fellows, adding that the number would rise to 268 following the completion of the fifth cohort.

According to him, more than 80 fellows are already serving in different government institutions, while the initiative is working towards evolving from a charitable vision into a sustainable institution with stronger systems, partnerships and financial capacity.

He said: “Preparation must lead to participation. That was the underlying philosophy espoused by our Founder, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.”

Oyewole explained that the initiative was designed not merely to produce graduates with impressive certificates but to develop a pipeline of capable, ethical and service-minded Nigerians who understand how public institutions function and are prepared to strengthen them.

He identified the five guiding principles of the initiative as Decency, Diligence, Discipline, Democracy and Dialogue, urging the new fellows to embody the values throughout their careers.

Also speaking, the Director of LMI and Deputy Chief of Staff, CoSPAL, Mrs. Solape Sonuga, said the programme was established on the conviction that the future of democracy and the quality of public institutions depended significantly on the calibre of people prepared to lead them.

Sonuga said the 50 fellows selected for the fifth cohort emerged from a rigorous process involving more than 7,000 completed applications out of over 24,000 expressions of interest.

She urged the participants to look beyond the prestige of being selected and recognise that the fellowship represented a responsibility to contribute to governance and national development.

“Do not confuse proximity to power with preparedness for leadership. Being in the room is an opportunity. Knowing what to do when you get there is the real work,” she said.

She challenged the fellows to use the three-week programme to understand the processes of government, interrogate public policy and develop the capacity to contribute meaningfully to institutional reforms.

Sonuga also thanked Gbajabiamila for his continued investment in young Nigerians and acknowledged the institutional support provided by CoSPAL, its leadership, partners, mentors, faculty and programme management team.

The LMI was established in 2022 to identify, train, mentor and provide practical institutional exposure for young Nigerians interested in public-sector leadership, legislative processes, governance and nation-building.