Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his imprisonment under the late military head of state Sani Abacha as the price of principled leadership.
Obasanjo spoke at an international colloquium titled ‘Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Global Africa to the World’ in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of activities marking his 89th birthday on March 4, 2026.
In a statement issued by his special assistant on media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described leadership as both a “heavy burden” and a “profound blessing,” drawing from his experiences in military command, imprisonment, and democratic governance.
Reflecting on his role as commander of the Third Marine Commando Division during the Nigerian Civil War, Obasanjo said leadership often demands difficult decisions with consequences for millions.
He recalled choosing restraint in the war’s final days in 1970 to avoid further civilian casualties, describing it as an example of the moral weight leaders carry.
Obasanjo, who served as military head of state from 1976 to 1979 and civilian president from 1999 to 2007, said the public often underestimates the personal cost of leadership.
“My imprisonment was evidence of the price that can accompany principled positions,” he said.
He highlighted the 1979 handover to Shehu Shagari — Nigeria’s first peaceful transition from military to civilian rule — as one of the most fulfilling decisions of his career.
On Africa’s development, Obasanjo attributed persistent challenges to governance failures.
“Africa remains richly endowed with natural and human resources but continues to suffer from weak institutions, corruption and self-serving leadership,” he said.
He called for deeper investment in leadership development, institutional strengthening, and democratic accountability across the continent.
Obasanjo urged African governments to better engage the global African diaspora, describing it as an underutilised asset for continental renewal.
He highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a transformative initiative capable of expanding markets, attracting investment, and boosting Africa’s global competitiveness if fully implemented.
“Africa is not a problem to be managed. Africa is a promise to be fulfilled — and leadership is how that promise gets kept,” he concluded.
Obasanjo’s 89th birthday activities conclude on Thursday with a distinguished lecture titled ‘The Global African Enlightenment from Chains to Renaissance,’ to be delivered by Haiti’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jean Robert Pillard at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta.
