EFFURUN/Nigeria: Participants in the 10th set of the Value Rebirth-Centre LSD Leadership School, Delta Study Centre, have been challenged to develop a combination of intellectual, technical and interpersonal abilities if they are to translate leadership ideas into measurable results.
The charge was given by the Founding Executive Director and Director of Studies of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Dr. Otive Igbuzor, while delivering the inaugural lecture, titled “What is Leadership,” to the new students in Effurun.
Igbuzor identified conceptual, technical and social competencies as essential tools for effective leadership, explaining that leaders must be able to develop ideas and a clear vision, possess the technical capacity to implement their plans and work effectively with other people.
He described the three dimensions in practical terms, stressing that leadership requires what he termed “a head, heart and guts” — the capacity to think strategically, relate meaningfully with people and demonstrate the courage required to take decisions and pursue goals.
“A leader is a person who influences, inspires and motivates others to achieve a common goal while maintaining momentum and creating good feelings in others. Leadership is developed daily, not in a day,” he said.
The lecture also turned attention to personal financial management, with Igbuzor identifying financial intelligence, planning and discipline as important components of wealth creation.
He encouraged the students to develop an investment mindset, stressing savings and investment as means of building, managing and multiplying financial resources rather than adopting what he described as a toxic mentality towards money.
Igbuzor further broadened the discussion to child development, advising parents to look beyond academic intelligence and financial success when raising their children. He said character development and healthy relationships with God and other people should form part of the values deliberately instilled in children.
The leadership expert said the Leadership School was established to develop people who can think strategically, envision desired outcomes, formulate practical strategies and apply leadership knowledge to organisations and wider society.
He identified four areas of impact expected from the programme: societal advancement, organisational transformation, improved team performance and individual development.
The Delta Study Centre, which began operations in Effurun in 2017 as the first satellite centre of the Leadership School, has graduated 897 students from its first to ninth sets, according to the organisers. The ninth set graduated in August 2026. The centre is currently training its 10th set.
In his opening charge to the new students, the Founding Executive Director of the Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative (VREI) and Director of Studies of the Delta Study Centre, Amb. Pst. Edewor Egedegbe, urged them to approach the programme with an open mind and avoid making assumptions.
Egedegbe encouraged the students to develop a consistent reading culture, noting that continuous learning is essential for anyone seeking to provide effective leadership.
“Reading amplifies our voices,” he said, adding that the Leadership School was designed to equip participants with knowledge and values required to contribute meaningfully to society.
The Value Rebirth-Centre LSD Leadership School is a partnership between VREI and Centre LSD and has continued to train successive sets of participants in leadership and development. The Delta centre’s current 10th set follows the matriculation of more than 200 students in August 2026.
