By Chinelo Obogo
Leading voices in public policy have called on prominent Nigerians to take more responsibility in pushing for social change and political engagement.
Speaking at a recent virtual summit themed ‘Elites, architects of change’ hosted by the Institute for National Transformation (INT), economist, Prof. Pat Utomi and the Senior Pastor of Trinity House, Ituah Ighodalo, who were among the speakers, said it was necessary for the elite to shift from apathy to active political engagement. They said the elite have a role to play in driving national transformation and urged them to embrace their obligations to society.
Utomi said the elite have to adhere to the principle of “noblesse oblige,” which means “He who has privilege has obligations.”
Addressing what he described as the pervasive apathy among elites in political engagement, Utomi said that there is fear that they will tarnish themselves but warned that disengagement from politics has detrimental consequences. He urged the elites to participate actively in social organisations and advised citizens to advocate for just and fair policies through organisations, citing Rotary’s Four-Way Test as an example.
“People don’t want to get into situations where they might be tarnished. But you will recognize from experience that if you don’t engage, you get hurt. When the elites are all doing so well and so many are poor, they will sleep with one eye open because the poor, hungry people want to have them for dinner,” he cautioned.
Ighodalo said sustainable growth requires more than government intervention alone. He said entrepreneurs should look “beyond profit,” while advocating for a balance between financial gains and creation of employment, building infrastructure, and providing social services. He stressed that corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, while benefiting the community, should enhance the business’s bottom line through a “sowing and reaping” principle.
“There’s no way you can grow anything without the spirit of entrepreneurship. It is the entrepreneur who conceives the idea, drives the business, generates employment, uses resources, develops resources, and through the combination of all these activities, leads to national transformation.”
He also highlighted the inclusion of youth in many businesses due to their youthful energy in sectors like IT, sports and construction and called for a conscious effort to ensure youth have “a seat at the table.” He then spoke about the importance of time management and mentorship, noting that while time is precious, dedicating space for others contributes to personal well-being and a more productive life. He lamented that too few businesses are truly “people-centric” often placing profits over employee welfare, but said that organisations that focus on their people tend to achieve higher retention rates and foster positive workplace cultures.