The President, Abia State Leadership Academy, Professor Kenneth Kalu, has said that Governor Alex Otti’s investment in the Academy is about preparing young people to become responsible leaders who can shape the future.
Addressing participants during day 1 of the 2026 Abia State Youth Leadership Bootcamp, Kalu said while governments are often judged by visible projects like roads, schools and hospitals, lasting development depends on the quality of the people who will lead society in the years ahead.
Kalu stated this on Saturday at Government college during the orientation programme.
He challenged the young participants to think about why the state chose to establish a leadership academy when it is already spending heavily on education and other critical sectors.
“The government is already building schools, paying teachers, equipping hospitals and investing in infrastructure. So why create a leadership academy? Because developing people is just as important as developing physical projects,” he said.
He agreed, but said the vision goes even further.
According to him, the Academy was created to raise transformational leaders, innovators and changemakers—people who make deliberate decisions that improve their communities instead of waiting for change to happen on its own.
“The real value of this Academy is not what happens during this camp.
” It is what happens after you leave here.
” It is the choices you make, the values you live by and the impact you have wherever you find yourself,” he said.
Kalu reminded the participants that leadership is not tied to political office, saying anyone can lead by setting the right example at home, in school, at work or within their community.
He said the Academy is designed to help young people understand that everyday choices, no matter how small, contribute to building a better society.
Earlier, the Camp Commandant, Sub Lieutenant Chibueze Ugochukwu reminded participants that discipline would remain one of the pillars of the bootcamp.
He urged them to be punctual, respect camp rules, dress appropriately and conduct themselves responsibly throughout the programme, warning that serious misconduct could lead to dismissal.
He stressed that the regulations were not meant to punish anyone but to create an orderly environment where everyone could learn and thrive.
Also speaking, facilitator from the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University, Dr. Uchendu Egbuna, urged the participants to see themselves as the foundation of Nigeria’s future.
He said the partnership between the Enterprise Development Centre and the Abia State Leadership Academy was aimed at equipping young people with practical leadership skills, confidence and the mindset needed to solve problems in their communities.
He assured them that the bootcamp would be interactive, encouraging everyone to participate actively, ask questions and learn from one another.
In his opening remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communication, Mr. Dodoh Okafor, described the bootcamp as an opportunity for participants to discover their leadership potential while building friendships and experiences that would last beyond the programme.
He urged them to approach every session with an open mind and take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the state government.
(The Whistler)
