The Asiwaju of Oke-Amu Land and Bobagunwa of Ipapo, Dr. (Chief) Mukaila Adewale Oseni, has asserted that Nigeria’s escalating social and economic challenges will persist unless citizens embrace personal responsibility and uphold moral values.
Dr. Oseni made this submission on Sunday while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Aafaakallahu Annual Colloquium, organized by the Gifting Without Borders Foundation at the UNILAG Central Mosque Event Hall, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos.
The event, held to commemorate the birthday of Islamic scholar Sheikh Abd. Razaq Mubashir Woleola (Aafaakallahu), attracted scholars, clerics, professionals, academics, and community leaders.
Speaking on the theme, “Becoming the Change: Personal Responsibility in a Time of National Uncertainty,” Oseni acknowledged the anxiety caused by inflation, unemployment, and insecurity but cautioned against the sole reliance on government to fix societal ills.
“Nations do not change merely because policies change; nations change because people change. No nation can rise above the character of its people,” he declared.
Describing Nigeria as being at a critical crossroads, Oseni noted that uncertainty has become a shared experience for traders, job seekers, and public servants alike.
However, he argued that this uncertainty should serve as a mirror reflecting weakened values and everyday compromises.
To illustrate the weight of conscience, Oseni shared a personal anecdote from his student days in Oyo State.
He recounted how he once left a rented apartment without paying his rent, disregarding the landlord’s warning that the debt would eventually be collected. Years later, a lecture by Sheikh Aafaakallahu on the spiritual consequences of indebtedness deeply troubled his conscience.
“I could not find peace,” Oseni recalled. The sermon compelled him to return to Oyo years later to locate the landlord and settle the outstanding debt a move he described as a powerful reminder that integrity demands action, even when inconvenient.
He urged Nigerians to resist cynicism and the allure of shortcuts. “In uncertain times, character becomes currency. When trust in institutions declines, trustworthiness in individuals must rise,” he said.
Drawing from Islamic teachings, the keynote speaker emphasized that inner reform must precede social reform, insisting that small ethical choices, when repeated across society, possess the power to reshape the nation’s future.
He commended the Gifting Without Borders Foundation for sustaining the colloquium as a platform for intellectual engagement and moral reflection.
The event concluded with panel discussions and prayers, with participants echoing the call for ethical renewal and responsible citizenship as essential tools for navigating Nigeria’s current challenges.
