As part of efforts to prepare young ones for future leadership positions, 70 secondary students in Ibadan, Oyo State capital have been trained on Ubuntu methodology to attain greatness as leaders.
The student-participants were drawn from Government College, Queen’s School and Baptist Secondary School all in Ibadan as well as the University of Ibadan.
While 20 students participated from Government College, 30 Queen’s School students were selected and Baptist Secondary School had 20 students in attendance.
Speaking during the programme, coordinator, Ubuntu Leader Academy, Engineer Ako Eyo Oku, said that the seven-day training sessions of the Ubuntu Schools week-long programme was at the instance of Instituto Padre António Vieira (IPAV)/Ubuntu Leaders Academy, with assistance from Eureka Learners Foundation, under the approval of the Oyo state Ministry of Education.
The coordinator, who said that the training climaxed at a ceremony held at the Government College, Ibadan (GCI), added that senior trainers, teachers, students, and university student representatives were in attendance with the purpose of exploring and implementing principles of Ubuntu across participating schools.
He also said that the Ubuntu schools programme enjoyed the support of the African Europe Foundation, adding that the programme was launched on August 22, 2024, in Ibadan.
“Selected school teachers and student leaders of the University of Ibadan, who benefitted from sessions organised for training of trainers, received in-depth training on the Ubuntu methodology, which included the three dimensions, five pillars, and five themes of Ubuntu”, he said.
Engineer Oku said that the sessions were interactive and involved group activities, personal reflections and storytelling, as well as film screenings.
“Three dimensions of Ubuntu, which the participants were trained on include ethics of care (care for self, others, and the environment), bridge building and servant leadership.
Similarly, they were educated on five pillars of Ubuntu namely self-knowledge, self-confidence, resilience, empathy, and service.
Five themes of Ubuntu such as leading like Mandela, building bridges, overcoming obstacles, Ubuntu lives, and I have a dream’, did not also elude the participants”, he said.
The Tribune gathered that the trainers conducted a replica of the training for students from the participating schools during the Ubuntu Week.
“The teachers from each school, with support from their assigned university representatives, trained the students from the schools of Government College, Ibadan; Queen’s School and Baptist Secondary School, all in Ibadan.
“It was observed that the training enabled the participants to become more aware of their own strengths, weaknesses, and personal journeys, as well as those of others.
“The training also fostered an environment of empathy, allowing participants to learn from each other’s stories and understand both commonalities and differences.
“As expected, the programme provided a space for deep reflection and mindfulness, encouraging participants to think critically about their roles in their communities”.
In separate interviews with participants at the event, they said that they gained a more in-depth understanding of the Ubuntu philosophy and the Ubuntu Leaders Academy’s methodology, adding that the principles of Ubuntu inspired them to be more passionate and committed to servant leadership.
It was observed at the training that the participants were motivated to envision the goals for their Ubuntu clubs and propose impactful community service projects.
Senior trainers from IPAV, Mr Harry Mwailengo and Ms Queen Liwali from Kenya facilitated the week-long training on Ubuntu methodology.
Coordinator Ubuntu Leader Academy, Engineer Ako Eyo Oku, while thanking the sponsors and stakeholders for their commitment towards the success of the week long training, expressed excitement over the occurrence of the programme, stating that Nigeria was long overdue for Ubuntu leadership training in schools.
Between September 22 and 26, the Ubuntu Clubs will commemorate the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with plan to initiate cultural exchanges with Ubuntu Clubs in Portugal, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan to foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.
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