…. holds maiden national conference on higher consciousness in Ibadan
The founder of Bayonle Rasheed Akinbile Foundation (BRAF) who is also the founder of the Sufi Centre, Nigeria, Dr Bayonle Rasheed Akinbile, has said Nigeria needs a mindset revolution, not just policies, to become a greater nation.
Akinbile, said this on Saturday during the maiden edition of the First National Conference on Higher Consciousness held at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
Speaking on the theme ‘Inside-Out Revolution: Awakening Individual Consciousness As The Catalyst For A Greater Nigeria’, Akinbile who is the convener of the conference, said the conference was about awakening the consciousness of Nigerians to bring about a better country.
The event which was organised by Bayonle Rasheed Akinbile Foundation witnessed the attendance of students, academics, and participants from schools and other institutions.
Akinbile added that Nigeria cannot be transformed through structural adjustments or government policies alone, but only when citizens change their mindsets, character, behaviour, thoughts and ideas.
He said the foundation was launching a National Consciousness Movement, with BRAF as secretariat, to sustain the message through a monthly forum and outreach to more primary schools, secondary schools, universities, polytechnics and correctional centres adding that a database of participants has already been created for regular communication.
In an interview with journalists, one of the speakers at the event, Professor Sikiru Babarinde of the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, explained that ethics means core values meant for the improvement of society, and that personal, religious, social and ethical identities are interconnected.
He, however, noted that society can be improved by what individuals contribute to the larger society.
In his opening remarks, the chairman of the event and Professor of History and Dean of Arts, University of Ibadan, Professor Rasheed Olaniyi linked higher consciousness to national consciousness and nation-building.
He said national consciousness means pride, belonging, attachment, and devotion to the nation, while nation-building means building an enduring national identity that fosters unity, social cohesion, loyalty, and true nationhood.
Olaniyi noted that national consciousness in Nigeria has become very low, worsened by ethnic and religious divisions, breakdown of moral values, and normalization of criminality since independence in 1960.
He added that poverty, insecurity, unemployment, japa syndrome, food insecurity, crises in education, infrastructure deficit, and low voter turnout are signs of the challenge, citing the National Bureau of Statistics 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index, which found 133 million Nigerians, about 63 percent of the population, are multidimensionally poor.
Olaniyi, however, stated that Nigeria can only become united when common citizenship becomes stronger than differences and the progress of Nigeria becomes a responsibility shared by all.
The event also featured the presentation of scholarship awards to 19 secondary school students and awards to three winners of the 2026 BRAF Essay Competition.
Dignitaries at the event include the former vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, who was the special guest honour, traditional rulers and educationists, among others.
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