LASU Professor Advocates Merit-Based Leadership Selection, Calls for Reforms
A Professor of Educational Management at Lagos State University (LASU), Ayodeji Olasunkanmi Abari, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s leadership recruitment process, urging organisations to prioritise competence, leadership skills, personality and cultural values when selecting leaders.
Professor Abari made the call while delivering the university’s 126th Inaugural Lecture at the LASU main campus in Ojo, Lagos. His lecture, titled “Leadership is the Answer… But What is the Question? An Octopus Threshold Model,” explored contemporary leadership theories and organisational management practices.
The scholar argued that leadership extends beyond occupying positions of authority, describing it as a responsibility that requires self-awareness, continuous learning and a clear understanding of both organisations and the people they lead.
He encouraged current and aspiring leaders to reflect on the fundamental questions surrounding leadership, noting that such introspection would help them better understand their leadership styles, organisational environments and the personalities of those they lead.
According to him, leadership development should be treated as a lifelong process since individuals will, at different points in life, assume either leadership or followership roles. He therefore advocated regular training and retraining in leadership and followership to enhance organisational effectiveness.
Professor Abari also criticised the prevailing approach to leadership selection, particularly in educational institutions and Nigeria’s public sector, warning that sustainable national development would remain elusive if competence and merit continued to be overlooked.
He recommended that personality assessments become an integral part of leadership recruitment, stressing that psychologists should play a greater role in evaluating prospective leaders before they assume office.
The professor further called on organisations to create enabling environments that support effective leadership, emphasising that both institutions and leaders share responsibility for promoting sound decision-making and improved productivity.
He concluded that leadership antecedents, professional competence, personality traits and cultural values should form the foundation for selecting or electing leaders capable of driving meaningful development.
Source: Adapted from a report by The Nation Online.
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