Why Nigeria Must Embrace Ethical Leadership to Progress — Governor Soludo at UNN Lecture
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Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has called on Nigerian leaders and citizens to embrace ethical leadership as a cornerstone for national development, insisting that transparency, accountability, and merit should override tribalism, nepotism, and political patronage.
Speaking at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) on Friday during a high-profile lecture titled “Ethical Leadership, Security and Sustainable Development”, organized by the Ethics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Higher Education Strategy (EAISTRAP), Prof. Soludo emphasized that doing the right thing — even when it is unpopular — is the key to building a sustainable and secure future for Nigeria.
“Ethical leadership promotes transparency, accountability and merit, regardless of who is involved or where they come from,” Soludo asserted. “It’s about following due process, rewarding hard work, and doing what is right, no matter whose ox is gored.”
Soludo highlighted how his administration in Anambra State is leading by example, stressing that appointments and recruitments are strictly based on merit. “Recently, we recruited many primary and secondary school teachers, and several of them are not from Anambra State. Two non-indigenes are now permanent secretaries. In Anambra, we reward competence, not origin,” he said.
While admitting that ethical leadership has its challenges — including resistance from those who benefit from corrupt systems — Soludo noted that standing firm pays off. “Those who attack you for doing the right thing will either bow or run,” he remarked confidently.
Soludo, a former Central Bank Governor, also took aim at fake pastors and native doctors in the state, whom he accused of promoting get-rich-quick mentalities among youth.
“Our forefathers believed in hard work. My administration is prosecuting those deceiving our youth with promises of overnight wealth,” he warned.
The event, attended by academics, traditional rulers, and top university officials, served as a homecoming for Soludo, who is an alumnus and former lecturer at UNN. “This year marks my 27th as a professor. I miss the classroom,” he said nostalgically.
UNN’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oguejiofo Ujam (represented by Prof. Romanus Ezeokonkwo), praised Soludo as a “super lion and great ambassador of the university,” while Prof. Chidi Nzeadibe, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, lauded the governor’s transformative leadership in Anambra.
Chairman of EAISTRAP, Prof. Casimir C.K. Ani, called Soludo a “game-changer,” crediting him with landmark projects such as building the Government House and Lodge, which had remained incomplete since Anambra’s creation in 1991.
Also present was His Royal Majesty, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, the Ogadagidi 1 of Edem-Ani Ogwugwu Ancient Kingdom, who chaired the occasion and reaffirmed the importance of ethical governance for national unity and development.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with systemic challenges, Soludo’s powerful advocacy for ethical leadership has reignited conversations about the kind of values the nation needs to thrive in the 21st century.
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