The 2nd edition of the Values for Daily Living (VDL) International Conference with the theme In Pursuit of Excellence was successfully held on Friday, October 10, 2025 at the Base Landmark Event Centre in Enugu, Nigeria, bringing together key national stakeholders, development partners, parents, school owners, teachers and youth advocates to reignite conversations around rebuilding Nigeria on the foundation of values.
Organized by the Help Sphere Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of values education, climate action, and humanitarian causes, the conference was convened by Mrs. Sandra Ani, President of the Foundation and visionary initiator of the VDL Project.
This year’s conference, themed “IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE” attracted distinguished personalities including the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, as well as delegations from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Members of Education community, parents, religious institutions, civil society organizations, the media and other critical stakeholders.
In her welcome address, Mrs. Ani reflected on the growth of the VDL Project, which began as her personal initiative during her National Youth Service in Akwa Ibom State in 2013.
She noted that what started as a small community development effort – renovating an orphanage home, empowering youths, and providing eye care for the vulnerable has now evolved into a nationwide values advocacy movement touching lives across Nigeria.
A key highlight of the conference was the Grand Finale of the 2025 VDL National Essay Competition, which recorded over 800 entries from students across tertiary and secondary institutions across the country.
The top 20 finalists competed in Enugu, with Dickson Sunday from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State emerging as the winner of the Tertiary Category, receiving a ₦1,000,000 cash prize, while Amarachi Nkemakolam Moses from Federal Government Girls College, Lagos, clinched the Secondary School Category, going home with ₦500,000.
While the top two (2) Finalists in both categories all got consolation prizes, the most outstanding 20 finalists were also formally decorated as VDL Ambassadors and will lead values advocacy campaigns across their various states and institutions promoting integrity, empathy, discipline, and civic responsibility among young Nigerians.
In his keynote speech, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, the director general of the NOA, commended the initiative and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with organizations like the Help-Sphere Foundation in promoting civic values and ethical reorientation across the nation.
Other speakers and panelists echoed the need for collective responsibility among government, schools, families, and communities to rebuild Nigeria on strong moral foundations.
The conference ended with renewed enthusiasm among participants, partners, and young people to drive the Values for Daily Living Campaign – a movement that continues to inspire a new generation of Nigerians to live right, lead right, and influence right.
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