Ezekwesili, Bakare: Corruption and poor leadership holding Nigeria back
Former Education Minister Dr Oby Ezekwesili and Pastor Tunde Bakare have described corruption and weak leadership as Nigeria’s greatest barriers to development.
They spoke in Lagos on Saturday during the onboarding of the pioneer class of the Advanced Diploma in Public Leadership and Statecraft, organised by the Citadel School of Governance in partnership with the University of Lagos Business School. About 70 students were admitted for the nine-month course, which is subsidised by Bakare.
Ezekwesili lamented that many Nigerians appeared comfortable with the country’s persistent failures despite having no justification for them. She praised Bakare’s initiative, but said both public and private institutions were struggling because corruption had become deeply entrenched.
According to her, corruption is “corrosive,” likened to cancer, and has drained generations of opportunities. She warned that its growing normalisation was a betrayal of future generations.
Bakare, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, said leadership required continuous learning and insisted unqualified individuals must never remain at the helm of Nigeria’s affairs.
He explained that the school was established to raise leaders equipped to meet the governance needs of Nigeria and Africa.
“The Citadel School of Governance was founded to become a globally recognised institution producing great leaders,” he said.
He stressed that the project was not motivated by money or political ambition, but by the desire for a functional nation that benefits all citizens.
According to him, bridging Nigeria’s governance gap requires leaders to have access to modern tools and to move fluidly between the private and public sectors. He reaffirmed the school’s vision of building agile nations with responsive governments, where knowledge, service, and innovation drive progress.
Prof Michael Adebamowo, Executive Director of the University of Lagos Business School, added that the course would adopt a problem-solving approach in training participants.
