*Photo:Comrade Sunmonu (middle)receiving a gift from Professor Toyin Falola at the event. Right was the Rector of the school, Dr. Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul*
The virtues of leadership, integrity, dedication and sacrifice of the global veteran labour leader, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, were highlighted yesterday, as the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, instituted a lecture series in recognition of the first President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
Comrade Sunmonu, third right, with his wife, fourth right, and others from left, Chief Moyosore Adewuyi, a cousin, Mrs Lola Ogunbona, Sunmonu’s sister; and her friend, Mrs. Morayo Ojeniyi.
The lecture series, under the auspices of the Hassan Sunmonu Centre for Leadership and Governance, is a legacy by the first higher institution in Nigeria, to honour and recognize the national and global contributions of the veteran labour leader, Comrade Sunmonu.
The maiden edition of the lecture series, held on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Yusuf Grilo Hall on the campus, tagged: “Democracy and the Dynamics of Development in Africa,” was delivered by renowned global academic, Professor Toyin Falola, to raise funds for the construction of a permanent edifice for the centre.
Professor Falola took the audience, composed of many top labour leaders, including the NLC National President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, as well as other distinguished Nigerians and students, through the history of governance in Africa, emphasizing that democracy and development are deeply connected.
He said democracy in Africa cannot be understood from “the simple adoption of Western institutions, but from the continent’s own traditions of governance, which place value on inclusion, reciprocity, and accountability, indigenous democratic systems, like councils of elders, collective labour initiatives, and communal decision-making.”
According to him, democracy creates a framework for development to flourish, and democratic systems are the protectors of freedom. “They encourage political participation, ensure accountability, and can even lay the foundation for inclusive growth,” he said.
The erudite professor explained that, “When elections are fairly conducted, they can empower citizens to hold their leaders accountable and direct public policies toward development goals,” adding conversely, “when elections are unfair, marred by manipulation, elite capture, ethnic or regional division, they serve as a prospect of obstruction for sustainable development.”
He asserted that corruption stands as an obstacle to realizing the development promises of democracy, eroding the state-citizen confidence, redirecting development priorities from resources, and bringing inequality.
Under this kind of setting, he said, “democracy would need to be supported by strong institutions, the rule of law, and an autonomous oversight mechanism to stem the means for elite exploitation.”
He stressed that “the role for the youths is a source of optimism. Their activism and information technologies are a powerful force for democratization and accountability.”
He added that “young leaders demonstrate that the new generations are transforming the democratic space, challenging frontiers, and calling for more accountable leadership.”
He, however, advised that seizing this momentum will help to strengthen African democracies’ participation and align development priorities with the visions of the majority.
The global scholar said, “Although ethno-regionalism and religion are contradictory forces, they expose the complexities of democracy’s path in Africa. They can either unify societies around shared values of peace and justice or divide them through conflict. The critical resolution, however, is to ensure that these entities are engaged as positive forces for civic responsibility.”
For the military, he said they, too, “can serve as stabilizers of society or disruptors of democracy,” adding that “the military should be put under firm civilian control.”
He said when these institutions are balanced, they would provide strength for the democratic framework to allow development to take root on firm ground.
He said in Africa, “democracy is not only a political system, but a development imperative. It makes possible the accountability, transparency, and inclusivity essential for transforming societies to use their resources in the interest of the common good.”
For him, democracy institutions must take root in Africa to consolidate governance arrangements, combat corruption, and allow citizens to take ownership of their political and economic fate.
He added that “achievements of these would enable democracy to live up to its promise of consolidating political stability and unleashing the transformative development that the African people demand and deserve.”
Earlier, the Rector of the school, Dr. Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul, had summed up the reason for organizing the event. He said, “We are assembled for three intertwined purposes: to honour a colossus whose life and labour have dignified generations; to launch a vision that will nurture ethical, innovative, and service-driven leaders; and to raise a strategic seed that ideals into enduring impact. These purposes are not sequential items on a programme; they are a covenant we enter together for the sake of our common future.”
While paying tributes to Hassan Sunmonu, the rector said: “From his formative years on this campus to his trailblazing tenure as the pioneer President of the NLC and to continental leadership within the Organization of African Trade Union Unity, Comrade Sunmonu embodied integrity, courage, and a tireless pursuit of justice.
“He did not treat leadership as a title to be won, but as a responsibility to be shouldered. He fought not only for wages, but for dignity – lifting conversations about work into conversations about human worth. In celebrating him today, we are building a monument of stone; we are in reality, building a living institution of ideas and of character.”
He said the Hassan Sunmonu Centre for Leadership and Governance “is conceived as a lighthouse where values meet competence, where scholarship meets service, and where democratic ideals translate into measurable development outcomes.”
Further, he said the centre will: Cultivate ethical leadership – forming leaders whose decisions are grounded on integrity and the common good; Incubate policy innovation – bridging research and practice to address the continent’s pressing governance and development challenges; Model inclusive democracy – moving conversations beyond elections to accountability, institutions, and equitable opportunity; and Connect classroom to country – placing students, alumni, industry, labour, and the civic sphere in a shared enterprise of national renewal.
According to him,
The rector said, “This vision resonates with YabaTech’s heritage as Nigeria’s premier training ground for technical excellence and societal leadership. It also aligns with today’s lectue themed: ‘Democracy and the Dynamics o Development in Africa’ – a timely focus that invites us to see leadership as the missing middle between aspirations and outcomes,” stressing that “we are privileged to have Professor Toyin Falola, a towering intellect of Africa’s past, present, and possible futures.”
For Professor Tunde Babawale, “We are celebrating the leadership qualities of Hassan Sunmonu, the first NLC president.
“He came into the labour movement at a critical time in the nation’s history when the military was suppression the labour movement. Before he came in, we.had splinter groups. But he was the first unifying force for the Nigerian Labour movement.”
Captions:
- 3.