Obasanjo: Bad Leadership at the Root of Nigeria’s Problems

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo attributes the nation’s challenges to poor leadership, calling for a renewed focus on effective governance to drive progress.

Self-centered leadership has led to socio-economic and political challenges in Nigeria, according to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

On Saturday, Obasanjo delivered a speech in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He was honored as the Special Guest at the Leadership Empowerment International Conference and witnessed 25 accomplished Nigerians receive honorary doctorates in leadership.

To overcome the present difficulties, according to the former president, all self-absorbed leaders currently holding positions of governance across various levels must relinquish their grip on the nation.

The statement made by the experienced statesman is that leadership and community service are never ending duties, which one must undertake until their final breath. A person’s age can’t be a barrier to being an effective leader and contributing towards society as leaders should aspire to serve not only locally but also on larger platforms such as state or country level, even globally if possible.

If I had to sum it up in one word, the biggest problem facing Nigeria today is leadership. Specifically, we suffer from self-serving leaders who lack knowledge and understanding of their role, and fail to prioritize service at the core of their responsibilities.

Getting the leadership right is crucial as it paves the way for everything else to fall into place. LEIC’s admirable and noteworthy efforts towards this goal should be acknowledged and promoted in all sectors of society, embedding good leadership principles at every level of our country’s existence.