Focus On Governance, Obasanjo Tells African Leaders
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged African leaders to set aside personal interests and build a democratic system that delivers good governance for citizens.
He called on leaders across the continent to rethink the democracy they practise, comparing it with the system inherited from colonial powers and adapting it to better serve African societies.
Obasanjo said Africa’s governance challenge is largely an institutional and leadership problem, noting that many leaders have failed to establish strong frameworks that ensure good governance regardless of who is in power.
He stressed that democracy should not be manipulated for electoral gain but treated as a covenant with citizens based on accountability, transparency, and development.
The former Nigerian president made the remarks on Tuesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while speaking at the International Colloquium titled “The Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Africa to the World” held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
According to him, Africa has produced notable leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Thomas Sankara, and Samora Machel, but has not consistently built institutions strong enough to sustain good governance.
“When a country’s progress depends on the character of one leader, that country remains fragile,” he said.
Obasanjo added that although democracy may sometimes be slow and imperfect, its alternatives are far worse.
He urged African leaders to defend democratic institutions, strengthen independent judiciaries, protect free expression, and build institutions—courts, civil service, universities, and regulatory bodies—that will endure beyond individual leaders.
