This came during the 2nd edition of the Values for Daily Living (VDL) International Conference, themed “In Pursuit of Excellence”, held on Friday, October 10, 2025, at the Base Landmark Event Centre, Enugu, Nigeria.

The conference, organized by the HelpSphere Foundation, brought together key national stakeholders, development partners, parents, school owners, teachers, and youth advocates to reignite conversations around rebuilding Nigeria on the foundation of values.

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 recalled that what started as a modest 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.

“The journey of Values for Daily Living is a testimony that one person’s vision, when fueled by purpose and consistency, can transform into a national movement,” Mrs. Ani said, expressing gratitude to partners, educators, and students who continue to uphold the ideals of integrity, discipline, and empathy in their daily pursuits.

A major highlight of the conference was the Grand Finale of the 2025 VDL National Essay Competition, which attracted over 800 entries from tertiary and secondary institutions nationwide.

Dickson Sunday from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, emerged the winner of the Tertiary Category, receiving a ₦1,000,000 cash prize, while Amarachi Nkemakolam Moses from the Federal Government Girls College, Lagos, clinched the Secondary School Category, taking home ₦500,000.

Beyond the competition, the top 20 finalists were formally decorated as VDL Ambassadors, a prestigious recognition that mandates them to lead values advocacy campaigns across their respective states and institutions, promoting integrity, empathy, discipline, and civic responsibility among young Nigerians.

In his keynote address, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, commended Sandra Ani’s initiative, describing it as a “timely intervention in Nigeria’s value reorientation journey.”

He reaffirmed the NOA’s readiness to collaborate with HelpSphere Foundation to strengthen civic education and ethical leadership among young Nigerians.

Other speakers and panelists emphasized the need for a collective commitment by government, schools, families, and communities to rebuild Nigeria on strong moral foundations.

The conference ended with renewed enthusiasm among participants, partners, and youth advocates to sustain 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.

He gave the commendation while delivering the keynote address at the 2nd edition of the Values for Daily Living (VDL) International Conference, themed “In Pursuit of Excellence,” held on Friday, October 10, 2025, at the Base Landmark Event Centre, Enugu.

Organized by the HelpSphere Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing values education, climate action, and humanitarian causes, the conference, also known as the “TAKE IT BACK Conference”, brought together key national stakeholders, development partners, educators, parents, youth advocates, and civic leaders to reignite conversations on rebuilding Nigeria on the foundation of core values.

In her welcome address, Mrs. Sandra Ani, President of the Foundation and Convener of the VDL Movement, emphasized that:

“Our nation stands at a defining moment, as the place of character quietly slips away”.

She noted that this drift from the values that once held us together has left visible cracks in our homes, institutions, and society, revealing that the crisis we face is not simply one of governance, but a moral crisis. Renewal, she affirmed, begins with families that nurture virtue, young people that embody purpose, and a society that chooses to let values lead once again, so that true excellence and national transformation can be restored.

A major highlight of the conference was the Grand Finale of the 2025 VDL National Essay Competition, which recorded over 800 entries from secondary and tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

Dickson Sunday from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, emerged as winner of the tertiary category, receiving ₦1,000,000, while Amarachi Nkemakolam Moses from Federal Government Girls College, Lagos, clinched the secondary school category, winning ₦500,000.

Other finalists received consolation prizes and were decorated as VDL Ambassadors, tasked with championing values advocacy campaigns in their respective states and institutions.

In his address, Mallam Issa Onilu described the initiative as a timely intervention in Nigeria’s value reorientation journey, reaffirming NOA’s readiness to collaborate with the HelpSphere Foundation to deepen civic education and promote ethical leadership among young Nigerians.

Other speakers and panelists echoed the call for collective responsibility among government, schools, families, and communities in rebuilding Nigeria’s moral foundations.

The conference concluded with renewed enthusiasm among participants and partners to advance the Values for Daily Living Campaign, a movement inspiring a new generation of Nigerians to live right, lead right, and influence right.