The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has urged Nigerian youth to rise above social vices and take responsibility for driving positive change in their communities. She made the call during her keynote address at the Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZETSI) Africa Leadership Conference 3.0, held on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the National Merit House, Maitama, Abuja.
The conference, attended by over 1,000 students from tertiary institutions nationwide both physically and virtually, also honored Professor Olatunji-Bello as “Vice-Chancellor of the Year” for her exemplary efforts in combating social immoralities at LASU. The event was chaired by ZETSI Africa’s Chairman, Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulrazak Imam, with the First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, serving as Mother of the Day. Other notable speakers included Comrade Asefon Sunday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement; Comrade Solomon Adodo, President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN); and Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, Managing Partner of LawCorridor.
In her address, Professor Olatunji-Bello linked the rise in social vices to poverty, weak institutions, and poor governance, describing them as a “silent rebellion against a failed system.” She encouraged young Nigerians to redirect their skills, creativity, and energy towards nation-building, citing examples such as transforming analytical skills behind betting into financial innovation, digital ingenuity from fraud into technology entrepreneurship, and loyalty misapplied in cultism into movements for peace and progress.
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted LASU’s transformation under her leadership, noting that the university, once troubled by cultism and other vices, has become one of Nigeria’s most sought-after institutions. Key interventions included improved security, promotion of sports and social clubs, establishment of the War Against Drug Abuse Club, abolition of harmful sign-out rituals, and enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy against sexual and gender-based violence through the Centre for Response and Prevention of SGBV.
Concluding her remarks, Professor Olatunji-Bello challenged students to shift “from hopelessness to hope, from cynicism to faith, from blaming leaders to becoming leaders, and from rebellion through vices to resistance through creativity, innovation, and moral courage.”
Ambassador Imam described the conference as a movement of young Nigerians determined to reclaim their future from destructive habits. The day also saw the inauguration of the Students Against Immoralities (SAI) Club, aimed at strengthening campaigns against social vices across campuses nationwide.
While the conference promotes positive youth engagement, the persistence of social vices across Nigerian campuses highlights ongoing challenges. Without sustained mentorship, institutional support, and nationwide awareness, the risk of continued engagement in destructive behaviors remains high. The success of such initiatives will depend on consistent implementation, monitoring, and the active involvement of both students and educational authorities.
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