Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has expressed concern over the current state of affairs in Nigeria and Africa, saying most of the challenges facing the territory are caused by the absence of visionary and committed leaders, who occupy elective positions.

He noted that for Nigeria and other African countries to command respect on the global stage, they must invest in a new generation of leaders that would lead by showing love to their people even in times of adversity.

“Whatever resource we have, if we are devoid of leadership, it won’t get us anywhere. That is why leadership in Africa is very important. We can’t create an Africa of hope, prosperity, devoid of conflicts and insecurity where leaders don’t have a vision,” he said.

Obasanjo stated this at the Heads of Conferences & Women’s Movement Leadership Summit organised by the Africa Methodist Council, themed ‘Leadership in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world’.

While he observed that the leadership challenge greatly affects Nigeria, Obasanjo argued that most of Nigerian politicians, who were elected into public offices, lacked other means of survival, hence they saw joining politics as a breakthrough.

He said: “The most important thing for politicians in the Nigerian context, is that they must have a second address. If you are going to be a successful politician, you must have a second address and this means, having another means of livelihood. A politician that has no second address will stand for anything without having no morality.”

He asserted Nigeria must invest hugely in agriculture as he described Nigeria’s over-reliance as bringing misfortune to the country.

“One of the things that was a little bit misfortune in Nigeria is crude oil. It was a misfortune for us. It made us to abandon agriculture. Oil is a waste asset and Agriculture is renewable; therefore, we have to go back to it,” he stressed.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, the Guest Speaker, General Secretary of World Methodist Council, Bishop Ivan Abrahams, supported the views shared by the former President, saying Africa needed leaders that would rewrite its rich history.

“Many leaders fail simply because they were not able to demonstrate the inner capacity to deal creatively and responsibly with power and money,” he said.

According to him, the best way to go for African leaders is to be transformational, adding that Africans cannot survive the ambiguous world if the leaders are not ready to listen to the people and inspire them.

He urged Africans not to relent in holding their leaders accountable until good governance is achieved.

In his remarks, the Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Oliver Ali Aba, said that Africa as a continent must unite and speak with one voice towards addressing the challenge that plagued the territory.