The Wilson and Yinka Badejo Foundation has commenced to the landmark proactive movement of building new generation leaders the nation need for greater heights success. This welcomed action which is an inspiringly unique decision from the usual complains and protest among Nigerians took place recently as the foremost humanitarian and leadership foundation held her 2026 annual Wilson and Yinka Badejo Memorial Lecture at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.
Believing strongly in the maxim that action accomplishes more than millions of speeches, WYBF conveyed leadership experts, policy makers, stakeholders within and outside Nigeria to impart Nigerian youths with the essentials of successful leadership.
This included: Dr. Tunde Lemo, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chairman of the occasion, Rev. Sam Aboyeji, General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church, Nigeria, Father of the day, Rev. Dr. (Mrs) Olabisi Aboyeji, Mother of the day and celebrated global leadership consultant, Dr Mrs Debola Deji-Kurumi, the keynote speaker, Dr. Dolapo Kwapowe, former Group Managing Director of Kuramo Group, now, Senior Pastor of Elim Chapel, among others.
In her excellently applauded and impactful keynote address on this year’s theme of the lecture: Raising Responsible Next-Gen Leaders; Character, Citizenship and The Future of Nigeria, Mrs Deji-Kurumi who decried the continuous great level of decadence in Nigeria leadership, implored all Nigerians to be involved in salvaging the nation with visionary leadership character. She noted that for the Responsible Next-Gen Leaders to emerge, Nigerians should abandon the long culture of blame and stop waiting for the governments for solutions to the nation’s problems.
The erudite keynote speaker who described Nigeria’s situation as agency called on the public and private sectors, students and people of all walks of life to collaborate urgently to rescue Nigeria from leadership impasse.
She charged the youths in attendance to develop purpose, character, integrity and accountability to emerge as responsible next leaders who will impact the next generation.
In his speech at lecture, marking its 5th anniversary this year, Rev.Dr. Sam Aboyeji, pointed out and duly recognize the pacesetting leadership qualities of late Rev. Dr. Wilson Badejo, the former G. O, of Nigeria Forsquare Gospel Church, and founder of WYBF.
While rolling out the numerous uncommon and impacting leadership character of late Rev. Badejo, who he described as his leadership mentor, recommended Badejo’s outstanding leadership character within and outside his cleric calling, to today’s youth to imbibe for responsible leadership.
He vowed his limitless support for the realization of the Foundation’s vision to raise responsible next-gen leadership for Nigeria, in recognition of Rev. Badejo’s leadership legacy. Speaking in the same vien, Femi Badejo, the Vice-Chairman of the foundation, who tagged their mission to raise new responsible Nigerian leaders as a movement, also promised to keep the foundation vision, especially the worthy scholarship initiative as long as he lives.
The Chairman of the event, Dr. Tunde Lemo, launched the new extended scholarship initiative of the foundation known as Raise.
The state that the initiative is aimed at encouraging individuals and corporate bodies to not only donate to the foundation but also adopt’ a student in tertiary institutions and cater for their education till graduation.
The event also featured the Excellent awards presentation to who have been a mighty pillar of support to WYBF since its five years of existence. And also, to the outstanding students in their scholarship enrollment with exceptional results in their discipline.
The first and only maiden “Excellent Award for Support” was received by Rev. Dr. Sam Aboyeji. He excitedly receive the award plaque and Certificate of Excellence.
Subsequently, the recipient for Excellent Students Award was Oyinkasola Adebayo, a first class forescenic student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago iwoye, Ogun State.This was followed by the Star Performers And Scholars Awards which was received by the 2026 Class Coordinator, Chisom Martha and Ogbuewu Goodluck.
Lastly, the very successful event was grandly climaxed with the Foundation’s annual scholarship awards to 51 Nigerian indigent undergraduate students in various universities in Nigeria to assist them to excel with flying colours in the courses without much financial challenges.
