I recently attended the WIMBIZ (Women In Management, Business & Public Service) 2016 annual lecture held in Lagos, Nigeria. The theme was Crisis of Values: Reclaiming our Society and the keynote speaker was Dr. ‘Kayode Fayemi the Honorable Minister of Solid Minerals Development. In spite of the terrible traffic on that day, I must say it was well worth attending. The organizers were fantastic with time management and Dr. Fayemi did justice to the topic. For those who couldn’t attend I’d like to share some excerpts from his lecture that have resonated with me:

1. A reorientation of values is necessary to drive the sort of transformation we want to see in our economic and political sectors.

2. A nation cannot rise above the values of its citizens. If we want our country to function at a certain standard, then we must become the first exemplars of that standard.

3. No national program of transformation of society can succeed if it is not domesticated in the ways in which we groom and raise coming generations. To renew our nation today, we must be reawakened to our duties as parents, spouses, teachers and mentors and remember that we are the guardians and caretakers of the next generation.

4. In all our traditions, the idea that there is far more to life than the pursuit of riches is deeply ingrained. It is a timeless truth that we need to re-emphasize today. As a society, we seriously need to reconsider what it means to be rich. It is more than the acquisition and accumulation of money and all it can buy. We need to pursue with as much vigor intangible values that are the real basis for living a fulfilled life.

5. While we lament the delinquency of the younger generation, we must also as parents, both male and female, take a long hard look at ourselves. In this age of mass media, the truth is that we are competing with legions of voices to shape our children’s lives. If we are unduly absent, the Internet, Hollywood, Nollywood or the house help, will rear our children.

6. As parents, we must exemplify a moral consistency that transcends the “do as I say; not as I do” principle. Our examples are lasting imprints on the character of our children. Let’s model a lifestyle of integrity, purpose and service to the common good.

Please share your thoughts on www.parentinvestment.com.

Credit: WIMBIZ 2016 annual lecture – Crisis of Value: Reclaiming our Society delivered by Dr. ‘Kayode Fayemi.