Significance Of Leadership Centre’s Training For Students

In view of the security situation in the country, especially involving Nigeria youth, the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), has undertaken to? remould the character and productive capacity of these youths, through well thought out programmes, writes JOHN OBA

The need to nurture well- enlightened and patriotic citizens who would raise the quality of leadership in the country may be responsible for the recent upsurge in the number of secondary schools, universities and polytechnics that are sending their students to the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) to acquire skills and knowledge through various courses specifically designed by the Centre for such young people.

An agency under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the Centre is saddled with the mandate to provide Citizenship and Leadership Training as well as to manage the Man O’ War Organisation. Its vision is to be a world class provider of quality training that would empower the individual for good citizenship and responsible leadership.

The mission of the Centre include provision of training for the development of citizenship and leadership for public benefit; enhancing and expanding individual awareness; Inculcating in the individual qualities of self- discipline, self reliance and selfless service; seeking to engineer a general reorientation of values as well as Developing national consciousness and fostering international understanding.?

Being the only institution in the country that executes experimental and outward bound education, CLTC provides citizenship and leadership training in atmosphere in which self- discovery and self- actualisation are based on each individual’s competence and ability irrespective of origin, belief and class. Its programmes are planned to reflect character development; adventure and challenges; service and compassion as well as social and environmental responsibilities.

Traditional beneficiaries of CLTC trainings
Over the years, the Centre has provided practical trainings that positively reshapes the character and orientation of individual beneficiaries thereby improving the quality of their performances at home, work and society at large. Some of the organisations that have been participating in the various training programmes of the Centre include the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police, State House Annex, Nigeria Prison Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Defence Intelligence School, State Security Service, NDLEA, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Road Safety Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Women Affairs, Local Government Councils of various states, Federal Government Colleges across the country, government and private schools as well as youth groups.

The Centre equally carries out trainings for state governments and institutions that requested for specific knowledge or skill acquisition.?

600 former militants trained by the centre
The River State Social Rehabilitation Committee last year sent over 600 youths from the state most of who are former militants or agitators for a 30- day debriefing and training programme aimed and re-orientating and reforming their inner beliefs, character content and behavioural pattern as part of efforts of the government to prepare them for a return to normal life.

Speaking after the first training which took place at Awgu Enugu State Unit of the Centre, the Acting Director General of CLTC Mr. Michael Fawole said the training was meant to disabuse the minds of the participants from every act and belief that have to do with violence, killing and destruction as well as to inculcate in them a new spirit of discipline, respect for constituted authorities, love for the nation and its people, and value for human lives among others.

“Our training emphasizes exposure to challenging activities which help to divert the youth’s outburst into situation which helps him discover more about himself and those around him. The exciting activities packaged in the programme provide joy after hardship, builds self discovery and leadership through experience, teaches skills by gradual but progressive learning; and establishes confidence in oneself and in others,” Fawole said.

To be continued