LAGOS/Nigeria: Young people must develop the ability to make informed decisions, adapt to change and take responsibility for their actions if they are to navigate the uncertainties of the future, the Chief Executive Officer of Scrum Consult, Mrs Edu Ekpo, has said.
Ekpo spoke at Kuramo Senior Secondary School, Victoria Island, Lagos, during a four-day Agile project programme organised by Scrum Consult as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative for young people.
She said the programme was designed to prepare students approaching adulthood with practical leadership skills, critical-thinking abilities and a mindset capable of responding to rapid changes in technology and society.
According to Ekpo, leadership begins with the ability to make good decisions, particularly when circumstances are uncertain and information is constantly changing.
She urged the students to examine the situations they face, seek relevant information, weigh available evidence and make decisions capable of producing positive outcomes in the future.
The Scrum Consult chief executive said young people should also understand that leadership was not limited to holding positions of authority, but involved self-discipline, responsible choices, service to others and the ability to influence society positively.
She explained that the programme was deliberately designed to prepare the participants beyond their immediate circumstances, rather than teach them to predict exactly what the future would look like.
“What they need is the right framework and mindset to respond when circumstances change,” she said.
Ekpo said the approach was drawn from principles contained in Leading in Uncertainty, a book through which participants are introduced to practical frameworks for dealing with change, making decisions and developing leadership capacity.
She said the ultimate measure of the programme would be a change in how the students approached their habits, decisions, relationships and responsibilities.
Beyond personal leadership, she said the initiative was aimed at developing young Nigerians who could contribute positively to their communities and the wider society.
Ekpo noted that technological development was rapidly transforming the world of work, just as previous industrial revolutions had changed the way people lived and worked.
She said artificial intelligence, automation, digital technology and other emerging tools were now creating new opportunities while simultaneously requiring people to acquire new ways of learning, collaborating and solving problems.
She, however, stressed that although technology and tools would continue to change, the human capacity to learn, adapt, collaborate and solve problems would remain essential.
The programme therefore introduces the students to concepts including empirical process control, value prioritisation, critical thinking and problem-solving, with the aim of helping them assess situations, respond constructively to change and concentrate on activities that create meaningful value.
Ekpo described the initiative as an investment in the next generation, saying early exposure to sound decision-making and responsible leadership could help young people become better prepared for adulthood and the challenges ahead.
She expressed the hope that the lessons from the four-day programme would extend beyond the classroom and influence the students’ everyday choices, personal development and future leadership roles.
