Private sector drives ethical leadership among students

The private sector is stepping up efforts to promote ethical leadership and responsible citizenship among young Nigerians, with a growing focus on embedding values such as integrity, accountability and social responsibility into the education system.

The push was on display on Thursday at the grand finale of the 2026 Ethical Living Initiative Competition in Lagos, a youth-focused programme organised by the African Capital Alliance Foundation in partnership with Enactus Nigeria. The initiative brought together students from 40 secondary schools across the state after six weeks of ethics workshops and mentorship sessions.

According to the organisers, the programme has engaged more than 80 facilitators to deliver 240 workshops designed to help students develop practical leadership skills and a stronger ethical foundation.

The competition also featured an essay contest challenging participants to reflect on their role in building a fairer and more equitable society.

Speaking at the event, Co-Founder and Director of Tribe Nation Theatrical Distribution, Lillian Amah-Aluko, urged the students to remain steadfast in their values despite the pressures of modern society.

“Knowing what is right and choosing to do what is right consistently are two different things,” she said, encouraging the students to resist the temptation to compromise their principles for short-term gains.

Drawing from her experience in the entertainment industry, Amah-Aluko said she built her career around a promise she made to her father that she would never bring shame to her family, adding that integrity had served as her guiding principle even when taking the easier path might have brought quicker success.

“Success built without integrity cannot stand for long,” she said. “Your values are your compass in a world that often becomes confusing, noisy and uncertain.”

The initiative forms part of a broader effort by the ACA Foundation to encourage entrepreneurship, good governance and ethical leadership within the communities where the investment group operates. Organisers said the long-term ambition is to establish Ethical Living Clubs in schools across the country, helping to sustain the lessons beyond the annual competition.

Country Director of Enactus Nigeria, Michael Ajayi, described the project as an investment in the nation’s future, saying the programme was designed to nurture a generation that embodies the values of ethics, discipline and accountability.

“You are the hope we have in rebuilding our dear nation and restoring our lost values,” he told the students. “The Ethical Living Project is carefully developed to awaken your ethical consciousness and empower you to transform society.”

Ajayi said the initiative has expanded significantly since its inception, growing from a pilot programme to one that now covers all six education districts in Lagos State. Beyond the investment of time and resources, he said, the project represents an investment of trust in the capacity of young Nigerians to drive positive change.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, commended the collaboration between the public and private sectors, describing ethics education as essential to building an inclusive and prosperous society.

She encouraged the students to embrace the values they had acquired through the programme and apply them in their schools, homes and communities, adding that responsible leadership and integrity would be critical to Nigeria’s long-term development.

The organisers rewarded outstanding participants and schools at the finale, while reiterating their commitment to expanding the initiative as part of a broader drive to develop a new generation of ethical and socially responsible leaders.