…Nigerians must repair broken character for progress, says Maduka
By Chimaobi Nwaiwu
NNEWI—Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Coscharis Group, Dr Cosmas Maduka, has said that for Nigeria to move forward, its citizens must repair their broken character.
Dr Maduka, who spoke yesterday at the 2025 Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF) Africa Under-45 CEOs Business and Leadership Summit, held at the Archbishop C.J. Patterson International Auditorium Complex, Onitsha, Anambra State, stressed that leadership is not just about skills, but about character, which he described as “the greatest capital one must have and protect jealously.”
According to him, the challenge of raising today’s children stems from the fact that many parents themselves lack character.
“The problem we have in raising our children is not that we have delinquent children, but that we have more delinquent parents. Leadership is not just skill, character is part of it. It is your greatest capital, protect it,” he said.
Maduka warned that no one can build a lasting legacy without honesty, integrity, and trust. He advised Nigerians to stop pursuing money as an end, but instead focus on solving problems.
“Stop pursuing money, look for problems to solve and money will follow you. You cannot build something lasting on crooked lines. Integrity may be slow in building your business, but in the long run, you will succeed,” he said.
He further lamented that leaders in the country have failed to demonstrate stewardship, noting that “power without purpose leads to corruption and success without integrity leads to destruction.”
On Nigeria’s potential, Maduka cautioned against speaking ill of the country, describing it as a “goldmine.”
“Nigeria is not a useless country. This country is the powerhouse of the world economy. If we use 15 percent of what God has deposited in us, we will surpass the world’s biggest economies,” he declared.
Also speaking, the Founding President and Chairman, Board of Directors of UDUF Africa, Dr Smart Ezuma, said the summit was a call for a new generation of leaders committed to integrity, creativity, and courage.
“The greatness of Africa rests in the hands of her young people. Our dream is to build a community of servant leaders and ethical entrepreneurs who understand that leadership is not about taking, but giving, not about self, but about service,” Ezuma said.
In her remarks, Deputy Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, and Nigeria’s first female Professor of Mass Communication, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna, urged young entrepreneurs to embrace hard work and integrity.
“Process leads to the product, and when process leads to product, you have peace of mind. Believe in hard work, integrity, and legacy,” she advised.
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