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Stakeholders have the country’s leadership failure as the Leadership Institute Nigeria has designed an alternative to educate children displaced by conflict, particularly in Benue State.
This is as the institute aimed to equip these young learners with essential skills for a better future.
At the 2025 Leadership Public Lecture, Excellence Awards, and Appeal Fund for the Educational Rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Children in Benue State, in Abuja on Thursday, stakeholders condemned the crisis of leadership and corruption fuelling the current violence in the country.
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, reflected on his long-standing engagement with the president of the Leadership Institute Nigeria, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher.
Anyim commended his perseverance in keeping leadership discussions in Africa at the forefront.
He lamented the global leadership crisis across the country, noting the impact it had on democracy, governance, and societal well-being.
“I am minded to say that the question of leadership is no longer an African topic, but has become a global catastrophe. There is no gain saying that the world today is in crisis.
“I do not mean just the crisis of war, hunger, and deprivation. I also mean the crisis of confidence in leadership.
“This crisis of confidence in leadership across the globe has raised questions about the ability of democracy to deliver good governance, and the ability of the rule of law to ensure justice.
“Also on that track are the quality of humanity, the sovereignty of nations, and indeed the concept of a free society for all.
“It is needless to emphasise that leadership crisis is at the root of war, hunger, insecurity, and deprivation across the globe,” he said.
Also speaking, the former Chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri, lamented the persistent crises in Nigeria, urging a focus on their root causes.
According to her, widespread corruption is the core problem behind kidnappings, killings, and societal decay.
She recounted her time as a police commissioner, noting how some criminals rationalise theft by exploiting systemic corruption, bribing officials at every level, and using safe havens abroad.
This, she said allowed them to evade justice and return to positions of power.
Waziri called for collective action to support initiatives that provide aid to victims and address these issues at their source.
She stressed that Nigeria’s immense human and material resources were being undermined by greed and corruption.
“Why will anyone come into your church, kill your people, and walk away while you do nothing? What is intelligence? What do these people want? Let us try solutions.
“The root cause of these problems is people.
“Corruption is the root cause of it. Why would you kidnap a child and release her? Why would you go and kill people and demand ransom? Do you want to prove yourself? You don’t want to,” she said.
Also, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, President of the Leadership Institute Nigeria, emphasised the urgent need to prioritise the education and development of Nigeria’s children, warning that neglecting them risks creating a generation of trauma, violence, and despair.
Hagher lamented the country’s high number of out-of-school children and those suffering in IDP camps, particularly in Benue, where hundreds of thousands face malnutrition and insecurity.
He stressed that education was critical to fostering empathy, tolerance, and civic responsibility.
He criticised the current leadership for complacency and called on Nigerian leaders, both in government and the private sector, to take responsibility for shaping a purposeful future.
He also announced the Institute’s plan to provide alternative, accelerated education for displaced children using innovative methods such as mobile schools and technology-enabled learning.
He said Benue state would serving as a pilot template to reach vulnerable children nationwide.
“We are the country with the largest number of out-of-school children.
“Now take that and multiply it with the consequential abandonment of our children in IDP camps who are suffering from trauma, having watched their parents killed, their siblings butchered, their mothers raped.
“These children have no desire to go to school. All they want is revenge, and they ask, ‘What is the purpose of life?
“We are creating a new generation of children who have no purpose in life. The organisation has even more horrifying statistics on what is happening in Benue, where right now close to 350,000 children in IDP camps are suffering from malnutrition and insecurity,” he said.
He said that the institute was prepared to give the children alternative education.
The event was organised by the Leadership Institute Nigeria in collaboration with the African Leadership Institute USA under the theme; “Africa at the Crossroads: Redefining Leadership for Global Relevance.”
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