Nigeria’s former Chief President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said there is no option for the next generations of Africans other than to help in the repayment of the debt incurred by current leaders.
In 2003, Obasanjo as the Nigeria’s President secured a debt relief for the country, in the same manner as his counterpart from Algeria.
Obasanjo, however, noted that with the level of mismanagement of the previous debts written off, it would be almost impossible for any administration on the continent to get a similar gesture.
Obasanjo said this at an engagement programme with the 2023 awardees of Future Africa Leaders Foundation, an initiative of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
He noted that the debts constitute a trap that no individual or nation should fall into, noting that it is an albatross on any economy.
The former president, who asserted that leadership is the number one problem facing the continent, emphasised that ”the coming generations will have no choice but pay the current debt being incurred by different countries in the continent.”
He commended Pastor Oyakhilome for the efforts put into building leaders, adding that the nation needs more people like him to address the leadership crisis facing the continent.
Highlighting the qualities of a leader during the question and answer session, Obasanjo said: “A leader should be able to set good examples, be bold and courageous when making decisions, accept mistakes and learn from them, as well as have a realistic dream.”