The member representing Ede Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Bamidele Salam, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, HRM Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, and other stakeholders have charged Nigerian youths to build resilience, develop themselves and prepare for leadership responsibilities.
They gave the charge at the 2026 BS-E4 Teenagers’ Leadership Bootcamp held at Camp Young, Ede, Osun State.
The five-day programme, which began on Monday, September 28, is being held under the theme: “Empowering the Next Generation of Responsible, Tech-Savvy, and Impact-Driven Leaders.”
The bootcamp is organised by the Children and Young People’s Development Initiative (CALDEV) in partnership with Representative Bamidele Salam, with support from First Bank.
In his welcome address, Salam highlighted the vision behind CALDEV, a non-governmental organisation founded in 2015 to mentor, educate and advocate for children and young people across Africa.
He said the organisation, in addition to its annual leadership programme in Abuja, supports education through scholarships and interventions in schools.
Salam added that First Bank’s sponsorship provides financial and material support for the bootcamp, alongside an initiative to open bank accounts for participating teenagers as part of efforts to promote financial inclusion among young people.
‘Prepare yourself for the future’
Delivering a keynote session titled “Lessons from Our Generation to Yours,” the Orangun of Oke-Ila, HRM Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, urged the teenagers to take responsibility for their personal development and prepare themselves for future leadership responsibilities.
“You are taking over from us, and we need to prepare you effectively for those challenges,” the monarch said.
“Yours is a resilient generation, and you have to think of the future and that future is here already.”
Oba Abolarin also challenged the participants to contribute to nation-building despite the challenges confronting the country, including the increasing migration of young Nigerians abroad.
“Nation-building is not what you get overnight. Every nation faces its problems, but in our country, people ‘Japa’ every day.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense riches, and it is you, our children, who can revive it and bring this country to where it ought to be,” he said.
The traditional ruler encouraged the teenagers to build meaningful relationships and prioritise integrity, dedication and service over material wealth.
“Money will come and go, but your honesty, dedication and commitment to yourself and community development will remain.
“Build yourself, make sacrifices and embrace the spirit of service to humanity,” he charged.
‘You do not need a title to lead’
A governance and leadership expert, Dr Chibuzo Okereke, who facilitated a session titled “Leader Within: Self-Awareness, Confidence, and Personal Leadership,” told the teenagers that leadership was not dependent on holding a formal position.
“You do not need a title to lead; your activities, courage and decision-making will give you the limelight of a leader,” Okereke said.
He also challenged the perception that education has little value, stressing that learning goes beyond the classroom and can also come through practical experiences, leadership programmes and community engagement.
Okereke urged the participants to develop self-awareness by identifying their strengths, weaknesses, interests and habits.
“You must be self-aware of everything around you, know your strengths, what you struggle with, what you enjoy doing and what habits hold you back.
“This will guide you on what you want to become and how to achieve it,” he said.
‘Think local, act local’
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Lola Carter Foundation, Miss Ololade Ogunubi, encouraged the teenagers to see themselves as agents of change in their schools and communities.
Speaking on “Young Leaders as Change Makers,” Ogunubi, drawing from The Power of a Teenager: 50 Ways to Inspire Change, urged the participants to “think local, act local and become global.”
“You must always think of how to solve people’s problems within your environment, your school and your community,” she said.
“Let the change start from you.”
Participants hail leadership bootcamp
Meanwhile, participants at the bootcamp have described the programme as an eye-opener that exposed them to practical lessons in leadership, community development and financial management.
Oladele Bolaji, a student of Kings and Queen Academy, commended Representative Bamidele Salam for creating the platform for young people to acquire new knowledge and leadership skills.
“I want to thank the convener of this bootcamp, Representative Bamidele Salam, for giving us this opportunity to learn new things,” Bolaji said.
“I have learnt how to be a good leader. I understand that being a leader didn’t start from a top position like governor or president, but from your immediate environment. All these lessons my co-participants and I have learnt will be with us throughout.”
Another participant, Oyafemi Samuel of Osogbo Grammar School, said the programme had taught him the importance of problem-solving, community service and financial discipline.
“We learnt how to be a good leader in our community and how to impact lives positively,” Samuel said.
“We have to learn how to help people in our community, school and society. We should be problem solvers, and all these lessons will be part of me.”
He also highlighted the financial literacy session, saying it taught him the importance of responsible money management from an early age.
“Our financial stability is very important, and it was taught in one of the sessions. We don’t need to spend lavishly so that we don’t get into debt.
You have to learn money management as a young person,” he said.
Samuel further expressed appreciation to Salam for organising the programme, saying it would have a lasting impact on the participants.
“I appreciate Rep. Bamidele Salam for this massive programme. It will help us, the young ones, to ensure that we have a future that is very bright ahead of us,” he added.
The BS-E4 Teenagers’ Leadership Bootcamp continues until Friday, October 2, featuring interactive workshops, mentorship sessions and practical leadership exercises aimed at equipping participants with the skills and knowledge needed to become responsible, resilient and impact-driven leaders.