Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has led a leadership training for nearly 1,000 secondary school prefects in Ogun State, emphasising that the foundation of nation-building rests on strong ethical values and social responsibility.
Speaking in Abeokuta at the inaugural Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Training Programme for Secondary School Prefects, organised by the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI), he said development must be rooted in character as much as in economics and politics.
Obasanjo stressed that social responsibility is more than a concept it is a “fundamental pillar of nation-building” that should guide both institutional decisions and personal behavior. For him, sustainable growth only happens when individuals and organisations think not only of themselves but also of the broader society.
Highlighting the role of school prefects, Obasanjo described the system as a “crucial leadership incubator.” Though prefects are students, he noted, they carry some of a teacher’s authority for instance as food prefects, sanitation prefects, or morning devotion prefects and are therefore entrusted with responsibilities that strengthen their leadership capacity.
He urged the students to model exemplary conduct, saying that receiving delegated power means they must also demonstrate strong character. “A prefect … must demonstrate exemplary conduct,” Obasanjo said, underscoring how such roles build the discipline and integrity future leaders need.
Furthermore, Obasanjo encouraged the prefects to develop clear personal visions, missions, and goals. He referenced Edwin Locke’s Goal‑Setting Theory as a practical framework that can help them grow, plan more strategically, and hold themselves accountable.
In his remarks, Ogun State’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, praised the initiative as aligned with the state’s educational reform under Governor Dapo Abiodun. Also speaking, Professor Peter Okebukola, a member of OOLI’s Governing Board, explained that this training is part of a larger plan: to reach head boys and head girls across Nigeria’s more than 25,000 secondary schools, building a pipeline of future leaders with strong character and capacity.