Global Leadership Icons Gather in Abeokuta for LEIC 2025

Abeokuta, Ogun State — The much-anticipated Leadership Empowerment International Conference (LEIC) 2025 has officially kicked off today at the Continental Suites on IBB Boulevard, marking a major convergence of distinguished international and Nigerian thought leaders in the heart of Abeokuta.

All eyes are already on the keynote address scheduled for Saturday, October 16, when Nigeria’s former president and global statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, will take the stage to deliver a compelling discourse on the pressing leadership challenges confronting Nigeria and the wider African continent. Obasanjo, who serves as the Global Patron of LEIC, is expected to set the tone for critical conversations on the conference theme: “Leadership and Followership: The Bonding Factors and The Consequences of Insincerity.”

Joining Obasanjo as guest speakers are an illustrious lineup of visionaries, including the well-known American televangelist Dr. Tamike Brown; German leadership strategist Dr. Konrad Oberle; Engr. Abiodun Fijabi; legal luminary Adeyinka Moyosore Kotoye (SAN); and leadership experts Dr. Kunle Hamilton and Dr. Kunle Ashimi.

In a highlight of the conference’s opening day, 18 eminent Nigerians from various professional backgrounds will receive honorary Doctorate degrees in Leadership or Theology. These prestigious honors are conferred by the Immanuel Theology Education Institute, headquartered in South Africa and led by Prof. Van Den Berg Edward Alfred, in partnership with the Priesthood Leadership Development Initiative Inc. (PDLI).

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The PDLI/LEIC initiative is the vision of International Coordinator, Prof. Olusesi Obateye, whose tireless work has brought the annual event to global prominence. Last year, Obasanjo attended the conference as a guest, a moment that inspired his increased involvement and advocacy for deepening the discourse on leadership across the continent.

As the conference unfolds, Abeokuta stands at the center of a global dialogue on strengthening leadership and rebuilding trust between leaders and citizens—a conversation made urgent by the consequences of insincere governance.