As Nigerians in the Diaspora get more concerned over the future of the country, a US-based professor of ethics, motivational speaker, and TV personality, Prof. Princess Halliday, has called out the leadership structure in Nigeria to stop stifling the youths and women, so the leadership net can have as many authentic leaders as possible.
She made the call at an interaction to announce her participation at the Africa Youth Summit, scheduled to hold in Abuja, FCT, at the end of November. Halliday, who has been a towering voice in women and youth empowerment through the Empower Africa Initiative, reiterated her belief in Nigerian women and youths, stating that the only way to ensure Nigeria secures the future of today’s children is by mentoring more women and youths on leadership, so they could steer Nigeria towards genuine prosperity. She says:
”We have to broaden our mindset. They have to learn that as leaders, they must extend their level of influence and think of how to create the next generation of leaders. They can’t be in office forever. They have to create opportunities for other people who are qualified. There is something I usually say and that is that we have to begin to govern our nation based on meritocracy. What can you accomplish? What do you know? Once one is evaluated and seen to have the capacity to lead, he has to be given the chance to lead.
But when we wake up and assume it is not for them, it will not only affect us but our children and our children’s children; and even further generations will be affected. Most leaders in Africa do not extend their circle of influence to allow a young person to see a road map of becoming a leader. I don’t believe that the young people do not have leadership capacity.”
Halliday, who hails from Bonny in River State and has spoken at very prestigious platforms like the United Nations, British Parliament, the Commonwealth Conference and the International Monetary Fund amongst others also called on women and youths to rise and be counted on the table of leadership. She believes that asking relevant questions about the leadership of the country has become paramount today more than ever.
“One of the major problems we have in Nigeria is that people do not even have the confidence to ask why. They think if they ask questions it means being disrespectful. No, you are not. It is not disrespectful to be heard. You have to speak to power”, she says.
