Osinbajo: Secondary Schools Are the Bedrock of Leadership Development

edutvnigeria

09/02/26 • 16 Просмотры • 0 Поделиться • Опубликовано в Другой

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has described secondary education as the true foundation of leadership, saying the values, discipline and habits that define leaders are form..

Osinbajo made the assertion while delivering the inaugural Founder’s Day Lecture at the 94th Founder’s Day celebration of his alma mater, Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, an event that brought together alumni, education stakeholders, policymakers and students.

Returning to the historic campus, the former vice president spoke with nostalgia, describing the moment as both emotional and inspiring.

“It was a privilege and a deeply nostalgic pleasure to deliver the inaugural lecture at the 94th Founder’s Day of my alma mater,” Osinbajo said. “Coming back to these grounds is a joyful reunion filled with memories, laughter and the special bond that connects Igbobians across generations.”

He described Igbobi College as more than a school, noting that it represents a lifelong brotherhood and community that continues to shape character, values and worldview long after students leave the classroom.

In his lecture, Osinbajo stressed that leadership formation does not begin in government offices, corporate boardrooms or parliaments, but within the structured environment of secondary schools.

“Secondary schools actually matter more than we give them credit for,” he said. “Leadership begins in the formative years.”

He recalled the regimented routines of school life — lights-out rules, early morning wake-up calls, discipline, detention systems and cooperative activities — describing them as tools that build responsibility, resilience and self-control.

“Leadership begins in regulated lights-out and waking up at 5:30 a.m. Instruction, detention, cooperatives, SDM — these are what shape character,” he said.

According to Osinbajo, secondary education also plays a key role in nurturing critical thinking and civic responsibility, teaching students how to challenge ideas with logic rather than aggression.

“Those of us who passed through Igbobi know this intuitively. The habits that sustained us later in life were not improvised in adulthood. They were formed right here,” he added, drawing applause from the audience of professionals and alumni.

The former vice president also commended the leadership of the Igbobi College Old Boys’ Association (ICOBA), led by its President, Chief Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, and his wife, Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, acknowledging the family’s long-standing legacy in the institution.

He extended appreciation to the immediate past ICOBA President, Mr. Femi Olubanwo; the Board of Governors chaired by Sir Babatunde Sobamowo; and the host, The Venerable Joseph Adedeji, for the honour of inviting him to deliver the inaugural lecture. He also acknowledged the presence of the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun.

Special recognition was given to the ICOBA Fundraising Committee, chaired by Mr. Wale Adeosun, for driving the association’s ₦10 billion endowment fund initiative. Osinbajo praised the effort, noting that the fund had already achieved about a 20 per cent take-off.

“Great work,” he said, describing the endowment as a strategic investment in the school’s future.

The 94th Founder’s Day celebration served not only as a reunion for old boys but also as a platform to reaffirm the enduring relevance of quality secondary education in national development.

As Osinbajo concluded with a spirited “Up IC!”, his message was clear: the roots of effective leadership are planted early, nurtured within school walls and carried throughout a lifetime.

Download our Mobile App for easy access
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvmobile.ng&hl=en

Mobile App Lite
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvng.lite
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvmobile.ng&hl=en