Excellence Award Presented to Barr. Ahmed Abbas Dada at Grassroots Leadership, Development Summit in Lagos

In a celebration of visionary leadership and community impact, Barrister Ahmed Abbas Dada was on Sunday honoured with the Award of Excellence at the Grassroot Leadership and Development Summit and Awards hosted by the Golden Integrated Empowerment Foundation (GIEF). The prestigious event took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Golden Integrated Empowerment Foundation, founded in 2010 by Miss Patricia Okosodo, and renowned for empowering individuals and communities to maximise their potential assembled top leaders, policymakers, innovators and youth advocates for this year’s summit.

Before receiving his award, Barr. Abbas delivered a powerful keynote address titled “Unlocking Africa’s Potentials.” His speech captivated the audience, earning multiple rounds of applause for its depth, clarity and honest assessment of Nigeria’s developmental realities.

In his address, Barr. Abbas dissected the systemic challenges limiting youth advancement across the continent, with a special focus on Nigeria. He highlighted issues such as weak educational systems, inadequate mentorship structures, governance gaps, and barriers to innovation.

He stressed that unlocking Africa’s vast human and economic potential requires intentional investment in knowledge, skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial ecosystems, noting that “Africa is not short of brilliance, it is short of structures that allow brilliance to thrive.”

His speech further underscored the role of policymakers in building enabling environments, urging them to prioritize youth-centric development strategies, sustainable economic reforms, and inclusive leadership models. Many participants described the keynote as “transformational, thought-provoking and timely.”

During his post-award interview, Barr. Abbas postulated that our youths are not lazy but are an ‘Undeployed Army’ with vast array of nuclear talents, gifts and potential. All it takes for their talent to explode on a global scale is the emergence of a leadership class that will assist them in midwifing their visions and dreams through training, exposure, support and opportunities.

He reaffirmed his strong belief in the power of Nigerian youth. He argued that the nation’s young population, currently one of the largest in the world, is its strongest asset for national rebirth.

According to him, “Nigerian youths possess the capacity to turn the situation of the country around for good. When their potentials are rightly channelled and properly deployed, this country will witness significant and unprecedented achievements.”

He explained that Nigerian youths continue to distinguish themselves globally in technology, entertainment, sports, innovation, and entrepreneurship, proving that the problem has never been a lack of talent. Instead, he said the real challenge lies in providing the right platforms, guidance and opportunities to harness their abilities.

Barr. Abbas emphasized the need for mentorship-driven leadership, access to funding, improved governance culture, and community-based development structures. He noted that when youths are empowered with the right direction, their creativity, resilience and energy can accelerate economic growth, drive national transformation and set Nigeria on a sustainable development path.

Presenting the award, GIEF founder, Miss Patricia Okosodo, commended Barr. Abbas for his consistent advocacy for youth empowerment, community development and inclusive leadership. She described him as “a leader whose impact goes beyond words, extending into tangible contributions that uplift communities.”

The summit concluded with networking sessions, strategy discussions, and renewed commitments from stakeholders to strengthen grassroots empowerment initiatives across Nigeria.

Barrister Abbas’s recognition stands as a testament to his dedication to building a society where young people are not just seen as future leaders, but as present partners in progress.