The School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG) on Tuesday graduated 262 youths from its Class of 2025, celebrating them as “unconventional leaders” equipped to drive Africa’s transformation through ethical, evidence-based, and people-centered leadership.

The colourful ceremony, held in Abuja, underscored SPPG’s mission to nurture competent and values-driven leaders committed to redefining the continent’s development trajectory.

Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of SPPG Africa, Mrs. Alero Ayida-Otobo, described the graduates’ capstone projects as “blueprints for Nigeria and Africa’s future.”

She reminded the cohort that their certificates were “not a destination but a commissioning,” urging them to harness Africa’s human capital to build systems that uplift the vulnerable.

The ceremony also featured a tribute to Somtochukwu (Sommie) Maduagwu, a 2023 graduate killed in a robbery. SPPG Chair, Mr. Frank Nweke II, and Ayida-Otobo honoured her legacy, charging the Class of 2025 to champion urgent reforms in Nigeria’s health and security sectors.

Founder of SPPG and #FixPolitics visionary, Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, called for value-driven leadership. Drawing from her personal experiences, including her 2019 political campaign, she urged the graduates to let their values guide every decision.

“Nothing is worth negotiating your values for. Lead with compassion and wisdom. Let every decision be based on data, research, and evidence of what works,” she said.

Former Deputy President of South Africa and UN Women Executive Director, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, challenged the graduating class to lead Africa out of its paradox of “rich continent, poor people.”

“We are poor because we have poor leadership and poor decision-makers,” she said, noting that Africa holds over half of the world’s arable land and vast mineral wealth, yet remains a “poster card of poverty.”

She urged the graduates to embrace the spirit of Ubuntu—“I am because you are”—and to serve as public servants, not public masters. She cautioned that many educated individuals engage in corruption, and challenged the graduates to be the antidote to that trend.

Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka also called for the protection of women’s rights, warning that global progress since the 1995 Beijing Declaration is at risk of reversal.

Delivering the keynote address, renowned Pan-African scholar Professor Patrick Lumumba charged the graduates to overcome what he called the “paralysis of do-nothingism.”

“The time is now to move beyond the drawing board. Politics is not a dirty game—it is the organisation of society for the good of all. If you want to make an omelette, you must break the egg,” he said.

Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, who attended as Special Guest of Honour, began his address with the quote, “Politics is too important to be left in the hands of politicians.”

He argued that politics is not a job but a vocation.

“You need to have done something before you come into leadership,” Otti said, criticising the Nigerian tendency to allow individuals without professional experience to hold political office.

He urged the graduates to challenge mediocrity and ensure that those suffering from poor policies are no longer ignored.

Outstanding academic and leadership performances were recognised, with the Benjamin and Cecilia Ujubuonu Award going to Omolola Oluwaseun Oluwadara, who also received the Dean’s Award alongside Duke Olurin.

The Capstone Project Awards went to the National Values Project (1st), Project Echo (2nd), and Advancement of Rights for Children (3rd), while Temitope Damilola Oyewusi won the Best Manifesto Award.

The prestigious Life of Impact Award honoured Imam Muhammad Nurain Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye, co-founders of the Interfaith Mediation Center, for their peacebuilding efforts, and Mrs. Ngizan Chahul, President of the Nigerian Association of Women in Agriculture (NAWIA), for her advocacy in women’s empowerment and grassroots development.

In his closing charge, Mr. Frank Nweke II invoked Plato’s warning: “A community suffers nothing terrible if its cobblers are degenerate, but if its legislators are, it is ruined.”

He urged the graduates to be “lions in the darkness,” resisting corruption and leading with integrity.

Dean of the Class of 2025, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, affirmed the graduates’ commitment to putting policy at the heart of governance.

The event concluded with the national anthem and a symbolic balloon release, signifying the pledge of 262 new leaders to build a better Africa.