Today, there is a leadership vacuum or gap in many nations and corporations around the globe and a widespread call for a new kind of leadership is paramount. Leadership scholars urge for the kind of leadership – transformational change leadership which motivates and inspires people to action and change.
The 21st century is going to be a highly technological and information age and the need to train, educate and prepare the young people of Nigeria to participate in the global economy and job market is crucial and paramount. To promote political stability that could engender development of Nigeria and other developing nations in the West Africa sub-region, there must be an effective leadership. In contemporary Nigeria today, effective leadership is a prime value, the most valuable ‘public good’ but yet the most elusive.
In an increasingly changing and globalized world of today, leadership is the most visible aspect of management with its potential of transforming the workforce into a willing and winning team with the appropriate synergy to actualize collectively determined corporate objectives. It is pertinent therefore, to note that we cannot function without leaders and that lour quality of life depends on the quality of our leaders and the stability of our political administrations.
Furthermore, quality leadership is a key to a prosperous and peaceful life and nation. It is obvious that Nigeria is painfully in need of quality leaders.
There is need to prepare and train our young people for careers in leadership; a career in which the young people can learn the skills necessary for them to serve anywhere in the world as leaders – a career that will help them to learn the art of listening, service and stewardship.
The youth of Nigeria need to be prepared for careers in conflict management and conflict resolution, art of listening and communication; scientific research and technology and science innovation that will prepare them to make lasting impact in the world and release their God-given talent.
Leadership and technology are the big careers of the future. It will be, perhaps the most rewarding profession of the 21st century. Authentic leadership is the only profession that can lead societies into a real change and transformation. Authentic leadership in the human society is not anything to be obtained through conquest or by the use of all available instruments of coercion. Authentic leadership is something to merit and earn, something that carries with it certain basic qualities accruing from latent and discernible abilities.
In Nigeria there remains a yawning vacuum to be filled by leaders of vision and courage propelled by a single-minded determination to mobilise the people towards the achievement of the much desired national reconciliation, social cohesion, political stability, economic prosperity and peace. In every sphere of the African continent, there is an absence of quality, stable and effective leadership. In the political, civic, economic, social and spiritual arenas, recent events indicate that previous generations have produced a poor quality of characters that fade in the presence of true leadership and leave our present generation in this same leadership vacuum.
Due to the culture of poor and ineffective political leadership, the country has kept jumping from one problem to another. This has led to economic problems due to the gross mismanagement of huge and large petroleum oil driven national revenue and foreign exchange earnings to the extent that Nigeria has remained stagnant economically in terms of overall national development.
Fiscal indiscipline manifests in unsustainable fiscal deficit as well as pervasive corruption which exist in all sectors of the national economy. The vices of corruption have taken over every facet of Nigeria’s life, and have consequently impaired the sense of planning of those at the helm of affair. There is gross disregard for the rule of law and due process, a systematic culture of impunity occasioned by the militarisation of the political space and abject poverty of a majority of the citizenry precipitated by a persistent culture of microeconomic mismanagement, huge foreign debts and poor budgetary system, wanton destruction of lives through road carnages, and infant mortality.
Leadership succession and transition to young generation must be a matter of necessity and urgency in Nigeria and African as a whole. Leadership succession must start immediately. As soon as a leader is installed, he or she must begin succession planning and selection. This idea of politicians staying in the office for donkey years must stop. The generation of Africa’s youth must have the courage to rebel and say “No to Dictators.” African leaders have nightmares when it is time to relinquish their position of power and authority.
Succession is the last thing Nigerian and African leaders think about. Even at the end of their term, African leaders always find a way to remain in power. Yet, the principle of succession and transfer of position of power works even to the leader's advantage. In many cases relinquishing position of authority makes the leader to enjoy admiration, praise and honor than when that leader remains in power by force.
Nigerian leaders must learn not to preserve their position of power at the expense of future leaders. Leaders must challenge followers to become leaders themselves. They must search out for those who have character, courage, competence, confidence, faith and humility and yield power and authority to them. A leader must lead to advance the leaders of tomorrow and by so doing create leadership reservoir for future generation. People at position of power and authority must realize that they can't live, lead or last forever. Therefore they must begin early to search for replacement.
The overriding need of leaders, if it is to discharge its obligation to the rising generation, is to recruit, teach, train, mentor and prepare young people who are strong, courageous and wise for leadership positions. Many nations have always prospered from successful leadership succession. We need leaders with the required wisdom and political will to champion the harnessing of the enormous natural and human resources of our land for the growth of all.
We need leaders with a well thought out agenda for the transformation of our degenerate educational and health institutions, leaders that can restore hope to our despairing youth population whose frustrations are today manifested in widespread banditry, criminality and prodigality. There should be income minimization differentials among Nigerian citizens through an efficient and progressive system of taxation,through an open and publicly accountable bureaucracy, through the promotion andsustenance of cultural identity, and through a confident competitive role in the world’s economy and polity.
Nigeria needs strong and self-confident leaders who should be creators of great ideas, command the loyalty of their people, and be totally committed to the development of their countries and for peace and brotherhood among nations. These are imperative if her citizens must enter the next century with hope for political stability and economic prosperity.
Certainly, leadership is needed when a unified national, continental and universal response can be evoked to achieve specific objectives. Skilful leadership is the key to instituting the reforms needed and the policy actions required for the development of Africa. The 21st century Nigeria is in dire need of grooming the next generation of God-fearing leaders who truly understand the divine purposes of leadership.
By Emeribe Anthony
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