The private sector has intensified efforts to promote ethical leadership, integrity and responsible citizenship among young Nigerians, as stakeholders seek to address declining societal values through targeted interventions within the education sector.

This commitment was underscored at the grand finale of the 2026 Ethical Living Project (ELP), organised by the African Capital Alliance (ACA) Foundation in partnership with Enactus Nigeria, where scholarships worth N10 million were awarded to outstanding participants in the programme’s essay competition.

Held in Lagos, the event marked the culmination of the third edition of the initiative, which engaged 4,145 public secondary school students drawn from 40 schools across the six education districts of Lagos State.

The project, designed to instil values such as integrity, accountability, discipline and social responsibility among young people, featured six weeks of ethics-focused workshops, mentorship sessions and an essay competition that challenged students to reflect on their role in building a fair, inclusive and equitable society.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of ACA Foundation, Paul Kokoricha, said the programme’s impact extends beyond the numbers, noting that it reflects a growing willingness among young Nigerians to embrace ethical values and critical thinking.

According to him, the 2026 edition recorded the highest participation since the project’s inception, with 2,888 students, representing about 70 per cent of beneficiaries, taking part in the essay competition.

He disclosed that the programme was delivered through 240 workshops facilitated by 80 facilitators and supported by 40 supervisors.

At the grand finale, Monu Paulina Abodunrin of Wesley Girls Senior College, Yaba, emerged overall winner and received a N5 million scholarship for tertiary education. Chijioke Oluebubechukwu Blessing of Jagunmolu Girls Senior Grammar School, Shomolu, secured second place and received a N3 million scholarship, while Kalu Chidera Blessing of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School, Ojodu, came third and was awarded a N2 million scholarship.

Country Director of Enactus Nigeria, Michael Ajayi, described the initiative as an investment in the future of the country, stressing that ethical leadership remains critical to national development and social transformation.

Ajayi said the Ethical Living Project was conceived to adapt the character-building and values-based learning model implemented by Enactus in tertiary institutions for younger learners in secondary schools.

Highlighting the programme’s growth trajectory, Ajayi recalled that the maiden edition in 2024 reached about 534 students across 10 public secondary schools. The second edition expanded to 20 schools and engaged 2,092 students across three education districts, with 1,416 students participating in the essay competition.

According to him, the latest edition has more than doubled the programme’s reach and impact, with participation extending to all six education districts in Lagos State.

He added that the long-term vision is to expand the initiative beyond Lagos to other states in the South-West and eventually across the country.