‘Leadership is source, solution to societal challenges’

THE President of the Faculty of Engineering at Niger Delta University (NDU), Bayelsa State, David Patrick Dauduokumor, has stated that leadership is both the source and solution to societal challenges, urging students to recognise the importance of leadership and take action to create positive change in their lives and communities.

The faculty president said this during a recent event that was held at the university, themed ‘The leadership revolution: Igniting change starting from the student community in Bayelsa State’.

The programme — which was designed to inspire innovation, foster collaborations, and equip individuals with the tools they need to impact — aimed at making a difference where it matters most in the lives and studies of students, as well as in the social life of the university community.

Part of the faculty’s student leadership initiative, Dauduokumor noted, was to support five students of the faculty with grants to cover part of their tuition fees. He described the grant as a financial relief and validation that the faculty believes in the potential of the students.

He added that the gesture would create a ripple effect that shows that leadership is not about sitting in an office or making empty promises, but about creating opportunities, inspiring hard work, and rewarding excellence.

At the event, the Student Union Government (SUG) president, Tamatare Apere; president of all Bayelsa State Students Worldwide, Enrico Cavallari; and president of all Delta State Students, Efezino Oghenemaro spoke, encouraging students to imbibe the culture of true leadership in all their endeavours.

Heads of departments (HODs), academic staff, and other student union leaders in the university graced the occasion, admonishing students to be good leaders and ambassadors of the university, their respective communities, and the country.

Some of them spoke on characteristics of leadership, stressing that knowledge, character, competence, trustworthiness, respect, fairness, citizenship, patriotism, and care towards others are virtues they must espouse if they aspire to be true leaders.

Mr Alex Hezekiah, Director of PBO+ Network and PWAN MAX group; Engr. Ifiemi Tulagha, founder of Tech Girls Initiative; Dr Joyce Odu Okafor, lecturer at the Federal University Otuoke (FUO).

Others are Patrick Marcus Dauduokumor, CEO of PMD Films; Dr Ebipaduo Sapre-Obi, lecturer at NDU; Beauty Nyingi, founder of Youths-Uprise Initiative, delivered speeches and enjoined the students to be leaders today, not tomorrow.

They emphasised, in their respective speeches, that education matters in leadership and students should study beyond passing exams. They encouraged students to build meaningful connections and lead with vision, purpose, and influence. Finally, they charged students to be a powerful voice in a noisy world.

In light of the theme of the event, the university’s engineering faculty president, Dauduokumor, reiterated that leadership is not about being the boss, but about driving force behind every meaningful change, stressing, “Without strong leaders, visions remain unrealised and potential is left untapped.”

According to Dauduokumor, his accomplishments as the president of the Faculty of Engineering include, but are not limited to, organising the Nigerian Universities Engineering Students’ Association (NUESA) scholarships and fellowships, facilitating meetings with the academia and industry leaders, hosting events and workshops, organising the Dean’s and IT Cup tournaments, and renovating billboards and replacing of faulty electrical gadgets.