Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that Nigeria is sitting on a “keg of gunpowder,” citing the severe hardship faced by citizens across the country.
Obasanjo made the remarks during Dele Momodu’s leadership lecture on Friday, where he lamented Nigeria’s struggle with poverty despite its vast resources.
He drew comparisons with China, which successfully lifted 700 million people out of poverty, emphasising that Nigeria ought to have overcome abject poverty by now.
Proposing a lasting solution to hunger across Africa, Obasanjo highlighted education as a critical tool. “Education is one of the tools we can use to banish poverty. Where there’s no education, invariably, there will be poverty,” he said.
According to the former president, effective leadership is crucial for tackling poverty and hardship. He called for leaders whose characters reflect unity and community-driven values. “Leadership is the greatest ingredient for ending poverty. There’s no human endeavour that does not thrive on leadership,” Obasanjo noted.
He urged the government to prioritise education for every child and insisted that integrity, discipline, and good governance are essential to eliminating hunger and poverty in Nigeria.
“We can do it if China can lift 700 million people out of poverty. Nigeria should have no business with abject poverty. If we don’t take responsibility, we all sit on a gunpowder keg,” Obasanjo warned.
He concluded by stressing that Africa must tackle poverty decisively for the international community to take it seriously.
