Ibru foundation seeks early leadership training for future leaders

The Michael and Cecilia Ibru Foundation has advocated a broad academic curriculum for schools in Nigeria to inculcate early leadership skills to raise students who are grounded in all spheres of knowledge.

Speaking at the founder’s day ceremony, president of the foundation, Chief (Mrs.) Cecilia Ibru, canvassed early leadership skill training in schools from nursery level to the university like in the developed countries, so as to mould future leaders to understand the tasks ahead.

She said the drive to develop stronger intelligent children informed the provision of state-of-art facilities at institutions established by the Foundation.

Michael Ibru, a co-founder of the foundation, died few months ago and was given a statesman’s burial at his hometown, Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Local Council of Delta State.

It was not surprising, therefore, that the founder’s day ceremony at the Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) auditorium, was dotted with references to the philanthropist’s giant strides in education and business.

Mrs. Ibru in a brief history recalled how she and her late husband established the university, the College of Education as well as the nursery and primary schools, as part of their contribution to the development of humanity and the country, saying: “Knowledge is the greatest gift to bequeath to anyone.”

She added that education remained the key tool in moulding future leaders of the country, saying that education not only equip the individual with skills for self-advancement but also expand their perspective.

Shortly before the Guest Speaker, Prof Peter. O. Ikoya, Dean of the Faculty Education, Delta State University, delivered his speech, Rev. Canon Gabriel Kpagban, Chaplain of the Ibru Centre, Agbarha-Otor, who gave the opening prayers, called for a minute’s silence in honour of late Michael Ibru.

The chaplain noted that the founder’s day ceremony coincided with the birthday of Mrs. Ibru, urging all at the capacity filled auditorium, to continue to support and pray for the founders and for the growth of the institutions they stood for.

Ikoya commended Michael and Cecilia Ibru for their decision to invest in knowledge and building the human mind, saying they had written their names in gold and had left their footsteps in the sand of time.

In his lecture titled “Leadership for Economic Empowerment,” he submitted that leadership “is the compass for organisational development, growth and good success or systems’ failure.”

Ikoya identified what he called the Cecilia Ibru model of economic empowerment as the singular best recognised instrument of true empowerment that cuts across national, cultural, religious, gender, ethnic boundaries.