The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Markets, Senator Osita Izunaso, has expressed concern over what he called the increasing number of poorly trained and ill-prepared individuals holding political offices nationwide, cautioning that leadership is often being confused with simply occupying positions of power.
Izunaso, who represents Imo West Senatorial District, made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja during the public presentation of Leadership 365: Daily Reflection for Effective Leadership, a book written by Dr Linus Okorie, President of the GOTNI Leadership Centre.
Addressing guests at the event, the senator emphasised that true leadership extends beyond political office, pointing out that many Nigerians mistakenly associate authority with leadership capacity.
He also criticised the lack of intentional leadership development in the country, arguing that individuals are frequently allowed to assume leadership positions without the discipline, values and conduct expected of leaders.
“In this country, we do not train leaders. We just assemble people, and people start talking as if they are leaders. There must be a way leaders should talk. A leader doesn’t talk or walk anyhow because people are watching you.”
“Dr Okorie has demonstrated deep thought and some leadership ideas in his book. Leadership is part of our everyday life. But oftentimes people misunderstood leadership to mean only those who occupy political positions, which is not correct.
“The fact that you occupy an office does not make you a leader. Most times leaders are born, most times leaders emerge. If you have 12 children in a class, watch them carefully. Watch their mannerism—the leader among them will emerge. Leadership is not about occupying a high position,” he stated.
The lawmaker further urged young Nigerians to avoid the pursuit of quick wealth and instead identify and learn from role models whose principles and lifestyles deserve admiration.
“For the younger ones coming up, do not embrace the culture of let’s get rich quickly. Rather, imbibe the culture of having role models. There must be someone you admire as a role model. Money shouldn’t be the motivation to make anybody your role model,” he advised.
In his contribution, the book’s author, Dr Linus Okorie, highlighted that lasting national growth is driven more by deliberate leadership development than by technology alone.
“Progress evolves only when men and women of vision, skill and courage seize the opportunity to change things for the better. In the 21st century, I have been told that technology and AI are on the rise.
“But the truth of the matter is that there is nothing that will be as powerful as the human spirit. The human spirit, when properly channelled, can cause a change that could transform businesses, institutions and nations.”
Okorie noted that nations that have achieved remarkable progress did so by intentionally nurturing successive generations of leaders.
“Today, there is nothing as powerful as grooming, intentionally, the next generation of leaders for any nation.
“Nations of the world that made great progress are the ones that invested heavily in the leadership capital of our citizens.”
He explained that the book was inspired by a forward-looking vision and aimed at encouraging daily reflection on leadership among individuals committed to making a positive impact.
Concerns about weak leadership have remained a recurring theme in Nigeria’s public discourse, with many administrations criticised for inconsistent policies, fragile institutions and governance driven more by patronage than competence.
Analysts argue that the absence of structured leadership grooming, alongside a political system that prioritises loyalty and wealth over merit, continues to produce leaders ill-prepared to tackle the country’s complex economic, security and social challenges.