Kabba, Nigeria – December 10, 2024
Africa, a continent spanning 30.37 million square kilometers and endowed with vast natural resources, remains plagued by poor leadership. Despite its wealth, many African nations, including Nigeria, struggle with underdevelopment, weak institutions, and declining public trust in governance. Leadership expert John C. Maxwell’s assertion that “everything rises and falls on leadership” aptly describes the continent’s predicament, where ineffective leadership has stifled progress and left millions in poverty.
The consequences of toxic and self-serving leadership are evident across Africa. Weak governance, corruption, and mismanagement have relegated the continent to the bottom of global development indices. Economic stagnation, poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, and failing education systems persist, reinforcing the need for a new generation of capable, ethical, and visionary leaders.
Recognizing the urgent need for transformational leadership, the St. Augustine’s College Old Boys Foundation (SACKOBF), a group of alumni from St. Augustine’s College, Kabba, has taken proactive steps to address the leadership gap. Partnering with the John C. Maxwell Foundation, SACKOBF has introduced the iLead™ training course, a youth-focused program designed to equip students with essential leadership skills. The initiative, themed “Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,” aims to nurture young leaders who can drive change in their communities and the nation at large.
The program will formally launch in the 2025 school year, but a symbolic inauguration took place on December 10, 2024, at St. Augustine’s College, Kabba. The launch event was led by Francis Onaiyekan, a CMD-certified trainer and chair of the Leadership Development Committee. With the participation of over 600 students and staff members, the training program seeks to instill values of integrity, accountability, and service-oriented leadership.
By investing in the youth, SACKOBF and the John C. Maxwell Company are laying the foundation for a brighter future—one where Africa’s leadership crisis can be overcome by a new generation of leaders committed to the collective good rather than personal gain. While leadership failures have long hindered Africa’s progress, initiatives like this offer a beacon of hope for sustainable development and transformational change.