Some developmental experts have stressed the need for the promotion of a value-driven youths leadership to advance national progress.
The experts spoke during the 2024 Behavioural Change Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference with the theme, ”The Future of Anti-Corruption Interventions in Nigeria”, is geared towards inculcating value-driven leadership in youths.
The conference was supposed by MacArthur Foundation.
Dr Otivie Igbuzor, Founding Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), said that it was necessary to restore trust in government.
Igbuzor said that value-driven leadership was rooted in the principles of integrity, accountability and commitment to public good; values that were often compromised in corrupt systems.
According to him, value-driven leadership is urgent for the youth who will inherit and shape the future of this country.
“Leadership has been recognised as the most important variable that affects organisations, institutions and nations.
“Value-driven youth leadership is necessary for restoring trust in government and institutions, fostering transparency and driving systemic change.
“Young leaders are more likely to embrace diversity and shun ethnicity and religious bigotry.
“Behaviour change can alter habits, attitudes and action to align with core values,” he said.
He said that values were essential in building the society, but meaningless if the values did not reflect in individual behaviours.
Dr Joe Abah, Country Director, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI), said thar Nigeria must continue to tighten her systems and progressively limit the opportunities for corruption.
Speaking on the topic, ”Nigeria at a critical crossroads; securing the future with ensuring Anti-Corruption policies”, je called for behavioural approach to tackling corruption.
Abah, the former Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), said that the country must ensure the gradual tightening of its systems and also the progressive removal of opportunities that could lead to corrupt practices.
He said that while corruption had been with us for thousands of years, tackling corruption was only decades old.
“Corruption has been described by many as a binding constraint. In economics, binding constraints are those that unless they are removed, will not allow growth and progress.
“Corruption distorts economic growth, undermines public institutions, exacerbates social inequalities, scares away foreign investors and under-develops human capacity.
“However, it will not be prudent to wait until the constraint of corruption is totally removed before striving for development,” he said. (NAN)