Ethical Leadership Outreach: Africa 10XG Foundation Reaches 84 Young People at Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries (MFM)

On 13 September 2026, three hours of severe rain threatened preparations for the Roots to Resilience outreach at Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries (MFM), Afolabi Community, Lagos, Nigeria.

But the rain did not stop the programme. Perhaps that was fitting for a day built around one central idea: resilience begins with the choices we make when circumstances are difficult.

When the programme finally got underway, 84 children and teenagers gathered for Africa 10XG Foundation’s Roots to Resilience Youth & Teens Outreach in partnership with MFM. The programme connected ethical leadership to challenges young people face every day, from peer pressure and self-worth to substance abuse, personal hygiene, sexual boundaries, purpose and the courage to make better choices.

The outreach continued Africa 10XG’s commitment to reaching young people early, before repeated choices become habits and habits begin shaping adulthood.

The baseline data showed just how important that work remains.

What 30 Young People Told Us Before the Programme

Before the sessions began, 30 participants completed an anonymous Ethical Leadership & Integrity Baseline Survey.

Their answers were revealing.

Nearly three in four (73.3%) said they had lied to avoid trouble or gain an advantage. Six in ten (60%) acknowledged taking something that did not belong to them, 43.3% said they had bullied, mocked or intentionally belittled a classmate, and 60% reported cheating during a test or examination.

These findings do not mean that young people lack integrity.

They show why conversations about integrity need to begin early.

Yet the same baseline revealed something hopeful.

Although 60% acknowledged cheating in a test or examination, 93.3% rejected the idea that paying for leaked exam questions or “cheat codes” was acceptable or cool.

The gap was not simply between right and wrong; many already knew the difference.

The challenge was helping them close the distance between knowing what is right and consistently choosing it.

More Than a Leadership Lecture

Roots to Resilience was designed to go beyond simply telling young people to “be good”.

The programme combined a group session on ethical leadership with separate learning streams for boys and girls, giving facilitators space to address issues affecting teenagers in more focused settings.

Participants watched a multimedia ethical leadership session delivered by Africa 10XG Founder and CEO Chidi Ameke. They also explored drug and substance abuse through presentations and video case studies before moving into separate sessions on peer pressure, sexual purity, self-leadership, confidence, purpose, puberty and personal hygiene.

For the girls, menstrual health was both practical and educational: 43 girls received sanitary pads during the session.

Questions, games, books, educational materials and gift rewards kept the sessions interactive. At the end, participants came together to take an ethical leadership pledge.

The message was holistic: leadership is connected to how young people care for themselves, treat others, respond to pressure and think about their future.

Character is rarely built through one enormous decision.

It is built through hundreds of ordinary ones.

From Awareness to Intention

After the outreach, 30 participants completed evaluation forms on what they learned, how they experienced the programme and what they intended to do differently. These results capture participants’ immediate views and intentions; they do not yet demonstrate lasting behavioural change.

All 30 respondents (100%) said they gained new knowledge about making choices and resisting negative peer pressure. All 30 also said the programme inspired them to make better choices as future ethical leaders.

The programme was also warmly received: 93.3% rated the overall experience “Excellent / Very Fun”, while the remaining 6.7% rated it “Good”. Likewise, 93.3% rated the materials “Very Helpful”, and 6.7% rated them “Helpful”.

Yet the numbers tell only part of the story.

The young people themselves told the rest.

One participant wrote about moving beyond self-doubt and becoming braver and more confident. Another committed to sexual purity and to being more intentional about the images they viewed. Others identified anger, drugs, negative influences and honesty as areas where they wanted to make different choices.

These are intentions, not yet evidence of long-term change.

But lasting change has to begin somewhere.

Sometimes, it begins when a young person finds the language and the courage to name what they want to change.

When an Outreach Becomes a Beginning

One of the most promising developments came after the sessions ended.

Mrs Agino, the Regional Pastor’s Wife, committed to curating quarterly youth programmes.

That commitment creates an opportunity to carry the lessons of Roots to Resilience beyond a single event. A one-day programme can introduce new ideas; regular opportunities to revisit and practise them can help young people apply those lessons in everyday life.

Participants also expressed strong interest in developing a purposeful life vision, living by core ethical values and sharing what they learned with at least two friends. This points to their potential to become positive peer influencers, rather than simply programme beneficiaries.

That may be where the deeper potential of Roots to Resilience lies: not only in reaching 84 young people on one rainy Sunday, but in helping them carry better choices into their friendships, families and communities.

Building Africa From the Roots

Africa must address its leadership challenges long before future leaders enter boardrooms or executive offices.

Long before someone manages a public budget, leads a team, builds a company or runs an institution, character is already taking shape through everyday choices—whether to tell the truth when lying seems easier, resist pressure when conformity feels safer, or reject a shortcut when it promises an advantage.

They are deciding whether to follow the crowd or stand by their values.

They are learning to recognise and respect another person’s dignity.

They are discovering whether they can say no to shortcuts.

And, choice by choice, they are deciding what kind of person they want to become.

That is why ethical leadership has to begin at the roots.

On 13 September, 84 young people in Afolabi Community had an opportunity to examine those roots, to think about integrity alongside purpose, peer pressure alongside courage, and personal wellbeing alongside leadership. The programme also provided sanitary pads to 43 girls.

The immediate evidence is encouraging. The longer-term test is whether today’s intentions become tomorrow’s habits.

That is the work ahead.

Resilience is more than recovering from difficult circumstances.

It is the character to keep making the right choices when pressure makes the wrong ones easier.

And if Africa wants a generation of leaders capable of building trustworthy institutions, healthy communities and a stronger continent, then one of the most important places to begin is here:

with young people because the ethical leaders Africa needs tomorrow are being shaped by the choices they make today.

To discuss hosting an Ethical Leadership Outreach or exploring a partnership, contact info@africa10xg.org.

Ready to take the next step in your leadership journey? 

Head to our homepage to discover our Ethical Leadership Fundamentals Masterclass and Ethical Leadership – The Business Advantage sessions, designed to equip leaders with practical insights and tools to act with integrity, accountability, and purpose.

We are Africa 10XG Foundation. Empowering Ethical Leaders for a Global Future.

Find out more about Enterprise 10XG, our UK, Europe and beyond ethical leadership training services for senior leaders and Executives implementing change and transformation to create ethical cultures.

Get in touch to continue the conversation.

The Three Christian Archetypes: Volume One - Pure Milk: Immature Believer. Find out more! 

Leadership Values: The Comprehensive Guide to Effective Leadership & Management. Find out more! 

The Intelligent Change Management Guide: How to Successfully Lead and Implement Change in Your Organisation. Find out more! 

Purpose-Driven Transformation: The Corporate Leader's Guide to Value Creation and Growth. Find out more! 

Accelerate: Your Career Ascension Guide. Find out more!