Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said the next generation of African will bear a very heavy burden of debts being enmased by today’s leaders and there would be no option for them than to pay
Chief Obasanjo as Nigeria’s President in 2003 secured a debt relief for Nigeria, likewise was his counterpart from Algeria at the same period.
Obasanjo, however, noted that with the level of mismanagement of the previous debts written off, it would be almost impossible for any administration to get a similar gesture in the continent again.
Obasanjo said this at an engagement programme with the 2023 awardees of Future Africa Leaders Foundation, an initiative of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
Obasanjo noted that the debts were a trap that no individual or nation should fall into as it constitutes an albatross on any economy.
The former president who asserted that leadership was 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 needed 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.”
