Lagos, Aug. 28, 2025(NAN) The Vice-Chancellor(VC), Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has called on Nigerian youths to rise above social vices and take responsibility for inspiring change in their communities.
She made this call in a statement posted online at the Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZETSI) Africa Leadership Conference 3.0, National Merit House, Maitama, Abuja.
The conference brought together over 1,000 students from tertiary institutions across the country both physically and virtually.
Olatunji-Bello was also honoured by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement and ZETSI Africa.
She was honoured as VC of the Year for her exemplary fight against social immoralities at LASU.
The VC described the surge in social vices as a reflection of poverty, weak institutions, and poor governance.
She said that those vices often emerged as a silent rebellion against a failed system where corruption appeared more rewarding than integrity and hard work goes unnoticed.
She, however, urged youths to redirect their creativity, skills, and resilience towards nation-building.
The VC explained that the analytical skills behind betting could transform the financial sector, the digital ingenuity misapplied in fraud could power global technology companies.
She added that the loyalty misused in cultism could be harnessed to build movements of peace and innovation.
She expressed optimism that Nigeria could rise under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, assuring young people that renewed hope was emerging and that Nigeria would work again.
To illustrate her point, Olatunji-Bello cited LASU’s transformation over the past years.
She recalled how the institution, once riddled with cultism and other vices, was today celebrated as the most sought-after university in Nigeria.
She attributed this success to purposeful leadership and highlighted some of the measures her administration introduced.
“These included stronger security and surveillance, encouragement of sports and social clubs to counter cultism, the establishment of the War Against Drug Abuse Club.
“Others are the abolition of harmful sign-out rituals, and the enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence(SGBV) through the Centre for Response and Prevention of SGBV,”she said.
She said these were deliberate interventions to create an environment where students thrived positively and responsibly.
The VC then challenged young Nigerians to change their outlook, urging them to shift from hopelessness to hope, cynicism to faith, and blaming leaders to becoming leaders.
She emphasised that the destiny of Nigeria rested as much in their hands as in those of public officeholders, while calling on them to take responsibility for shaping their future and that of the nation.
Amb. Ibrahim Imam, ZETSI Africa’s Chairman, described the conference as more than a gathering, but a movement of young Nigerians determined to reclaim their future from the grip of destructive habits.
He stressed the need for a generation of leaders who are not only intellectually sound but also morally upright. (NAN)
