ODIDIOMO COMMENDS U.I. MANAGEMENT, SUG, SRC FOR PROMOTING LEGISLATIVE EXCELLENCE AMONG STUDENTS

The Oyo South Senatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo, has commended the management of the University of Ibadan, the Students’ Union Government (SUG) and the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) for promoting legislative excellence, intellectual engagement and leadership development among students.

Odidiomo gave the commendation at the Odidiomo Students’ Legislative Summit, organised by the Students’ Representative Council at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, on Tuesday.

The lawmaker described the summit, themed “The Service Paradigm: Transforming Mindsets for Service-Driven Leadership in Nigeria,” as a commendable initiative that provides students with valuable exposure to legislative processes, public leadership and democratic participation.

According to him, platforms that encourage young people to engage with governance, policy and legislative processes are essential to preparing the next generation of Nigerian leaders.

He said the summit also reflected the longstanding tradition of intellectual excellence associated with the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier university.

Odidiomo, who has consistently expressed support for initiatives focused on youth development, described student leadership as an important training ground for public service and democratic participation.

He urged the university’s student leaders to continue creating opportunities for constructive debate, accountability and policy engagement, stressing that leadership should not be measured by visibility or the prestige attached to office, but by the value created for the people being served.

According to him, “the true measure of leadership is the public value created through the exercise of responsibility.”

He challenged student leaders to constantly ask themselves what problems they were solving, who benefited from their decisions and how the impact of their initiatives could be sustained beyond their tenure.

Speaking on the changing demands of leadership in an increasingly technology-driven society, Odidiomo urged the students to acquire skills beyond their academic disciplines and prepare themselves for the realities of modern governance and the evolving economy.

He noted that artificial intelligence, digital platforms, cybersecurity, data and other emerging technologies had become critical to national development.

He added that future lawyers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, administrators and legislators must understand the technological forces reshaping society and the economy.

The lawmaker further urged the students to replace entitlement with responsibility and personal interest with public interest.

In his words, “we cannot build a 21st-century economy with a 20th-century mindset.”

Odidiomo, who sponsored the summit with a ₦50 million grant, pledged his continued support for initiatives that promote student development, leadership capacity and meaningful engagement.

He described University of Ibadan students as an important part of Nigeria’s future leadership pool and urged them to maximise every opportunity to develop the knowledge, character and skills required for responsible public service.

He also commended the SUG and SRC for using the summit to facilitate meaningful conversations around public service and responsible leadership, urging participants to take the lessons learnt beyond the conference hall.

“The task before us is not simply to produce more leaders. It is to produce better servants for the public good,” he said.

Odidiomo added that Nigeria’s future would be shaped by young citizens who begin, wherever they are, to practise leadership as service.