Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has warned that Nigeria risks further decline if corruption continues to thrive unchecked, stressing that the country “has no business to fail.”
Ezekwesili delivered the charge on Saturday during the inauguration of the Citadel School of Government (CSG) and the induction of the pioneer class of its Advanced Diploma in Public Leadership and Statecraft. The event, held at the Citadel Multipurpose Hall, Oregun, Lagos, was organised in partnership with the University of Lagos Business School (ULBS).
In her lecture, the former World Bank Vice President described corruption as a corrosive “cancer” that has gradually eaten into the fabric of the nation. She lamented that what started as isolated acts of graft has now become “systemic and democratised.”
“Corruption corrodes. It starts gently, and if you don’t confront it, it becomes a monster. Before we knew it, it became systemic, and then it was democratised. Now everybody says, ‘If you can’t beat them, join them.’ Join who? That is how generations are derailed for a mess of pottage,” she said.
Ezekwesili criticised those who appear unfazed by the country’s failures, insisting that she cannot align with such indifference. She further urged the inductees not to treat their diplomas as mere status symbols but as a responsibility to lead with integrity.
“No matter how competent you are, if you lack character, you will go nowhere. I cannot imagine you going through this programme only to become what you have despised,” she warned.
CSG founder, Pastor Tunde Bakare, explained that the school was established to fill Nigeria’s leadership vacuum by raising leaders who will reject corruption and embrace accountability.
“Our mission is to raise nation builders like you, leaders grounded in values and equipped with the competencies to champion a new philosophy of governance,” he said.
Bakare added that the partnership with UNILAG Business School was designed to blend academic rigor with practical leadership exposure. He expressed optimism that the inductees would embody a “new breed without greed” committed to nation-building.
Since its establishment, the leadership diploma has produced 748 graduates, with another 200 expected to graduate in October.
Both Ezekwesili and Bakare emphasised that Nigeria’s turnaround depends on cultivating leaders who marry competence with strong character.