Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that his imprisonment by the late military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha, stands as a testament to the price of maintaining principled leadership.
Obasanjo described leadership as both a weighty responsibility and a profound blessing.
He made these remarks in his keynote address at an international colloquium titled “Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Global Africa to the World”, held in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, as part of events marking his 89th birthday celebration.
Obasanjo, according to a statement by his special assistant on media, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Wednesday, reflected on pivotal moments that shaped his understanding of power, responsibility and service.
Recalling his role as Commander of the Third Marine Commando Division during the Nigerian Civil War, Obasanjo said leadership often demands solitary decisions whose consequences affect millions.
He noted that, in the final days of the war in 1970, he chose restraint in order to prevent further civilian casualties — a decision he said underscored the moral weight leaders must carry.
Obasanjo also described leadership as a rare privilege and an opportunity to serve at defining historical moments, referencing Nigeria’s first peaceful transfer of power from military to civilian rule in 1979, when he handed over to President Shehu Shagari, as one of the most fulfilling decisions of his career.
On Africa’s development trajectory, Obasanjo argued that the continent’s enduring challenges “stem less from geography or history and more from governance failures. Africa, remains richly endowed with natural and human resources but continues to suffer from weak institutions, corruption and self-serving leadership”.
He called for deeper investment in leadership formation, institutional strengthening and democratic accountability, stressing that sustainable progress depends on systems that outlast individuals.
The former military head of state also urged African governments to better engage the global African diaspora, describing it as an underutilised asset capable of accelerating continental renewal.
Obasanjo concluded with a message of gratitude and faith, reaffirming his belief in Africa’s long-term promise and urging the next generation to embrace accountable, service-driven leadership.
“Africa is not a problem to be managed,” he said. “Africa is a promise to be fulfilled — and leadership is how that promise gets kept.”
The 89th birthday ceremony is expected to be rounded up on Thursday with a lecture on the topic, ‘The Global African Enlightenment from Chains to Renaissance’, to be delivered by Amb. Jean Robert Pillard, the Haitian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, to be followed by reception for guests at the OOPL, Abeokuta.
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