NewStats: 3,264,047 , 8,182,413 topics. Date: Monday, 09 June 2025 at 12:26 PM 5o3p5c

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, decried Nigeria’s inability to live up to expectations since it got independence about 63 years ago, stressing that the country had not only disappointed itself but also Africa and the world.

Obasanjo disclosed this while delivering the keynote address at the public presentation of the book titled ‘Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa,’ written by former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who also served as Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga.

The book was unveiled by President Bola Tinubu through his Special Adviser on Monetary Policy, Olawale Edun. The event, which was held in Abuja, witnessed a large turnout of past and current senior government officials, as former President Goodluck Jonathan and Obasanjo spoke virtually.

In his address at the programme, Obasanjo said, “Over the last 63 years, we have not lived up to expectations. We have disappointed ourselves; we have disappointed Africa; we have disappointed the black race; and we have disappointed the world.”

He, however, stated that “what Segun (Aganga) has tried to identify, itemise and recommend in his book is the way forward.

“But the beginning of charting a new course for ourselves is to it our failure because we have not always put the round peg in the round hole.

“We are carried along by ego and emotion of self, selfishness and self-centeredness, ethnic and religious jingoism, with total lack of understanding of the world we live in and gross misunderstanding of what development entails and how to move fast and continuously on the trajectory of development.”



The former President further identified two of the major issues that were interrelated in of factors for all-round development.

“These are peace and security, which we cannot achieve without justice, equity and inclusive society. And telling ourselves the truth, we have not done well on these scores in the recent past—in the last decade and a half.

“I will also point at the issue of education, where over 20 million children that should be in school are not in school. We do not need an oracle to tell us the consequences of that for tomorrow,” Obasanjo stated.

He said the skill acquisition, empowerment and employment of youth would seem to be ignored or not appreciated.

“We do not need to look far for the remote causes of banditry, Boko Haram, kidnapping and other organised crimes

“We are living dangerously on a keg of gunpowder, driving more people into poverty through good policies poorly and thoughtlessly implemented or bad policy and no policy at all,” he stated.

https://punchng.com/nigeria-has-disappointed-africa-world-obasanjo/

Obj u are the number one problem in this country, since they boot out your woman rapper goodluck and co''' u now act strange.
I u have your own result during the president election still yet u failed' u that used power to install governor in my dear state'' u now they complain. Oga go and relax

You are part of Nigeria problem so word no dey your mouth.

This is true, but OBJ you were also part of the problem.

Pathetically aided by those who touts, drug traffickers, certificate forgers and the worst of us, to lead the best of us.

Obasanjo forgot that he is the one that layed the foundation of corruption in Nigeria

comradewanle:
You are part of Nigeria problem so word no dey your mouth.

“But the beginning of charting a new course for ourselves is to it our failure because we have not always put the round peg in the round hole.We are carried along by ego and emotion of self, selfishness and self-centeredness, ethnic and religious jingoism.

Total lack of understanding of the world we live in and gross misunderstanding of what development entails and how to move fast and continuously on the trajectory of development.”

Words on marble!

Lol shey you count yourself among the disappointment....


After leaving Power they turn to Motivational speaker....


Ordinary 247 electricity, Ibadan Express way, Alot of Federal road you couldn't fix and you're out dere preaching jargons....

Baba sef .

When in power you behave like gods on earth, forgetting that we move in circles and what we have is only but transient.

Your high handedness, selling off Nigeria's assets to cronies & friends largely supervised by Atiku and looting of same proceeds with high level of corruption. Nigeria is bleeding when we should've been reaping the gains of democracy and past years of oil boom.

We Never have been fortunate enough to have a true Nationalist and a leader who is altruistic and has integrity(Yar'adua of blessed memory comes close though).

To be very honest, Baba Iyabo is part of the problem!

Battlefield2:
To be very honest, Baba Iyabo is part of the problem!

atleast he tried to do something, compares to others.

talented321:
Obj u are the number one problem in this country, since they boot out woman rapper goodluck and co''' u now act strange.
I u have your own result during the president election still yet u failed' u that used power to install governor in my dear state'' u now they complain. Oga go and relax

you no hear english again? He said we have failed Africa, we have failed the world.

Obasanjo thinks he is talking to sorosoke generation.

inoki247:
Lol shey you count yourself among the disappointment....


After leaving Power they turn to Motivational speaker....


Ordinary 247 electricity, Ibadan Express way, Alot of Federal road you couldn't fix and you're out dere preaching jargons....

Charity begins at home. Have you been to Ogun State before?

Obasanjo, you disappointed Nigeria!!

Zxcvbnmghtr:


Charity begins at home. Have you been to Ogun State before?

Which road dey Ogun state let's start from Sango even if my Best friend av an event in that area I will never go dere if he wan die make he die....


What I know's both the Politicians and the citizens are to be blamed for the disappointment the Politicians are doing dere own the Citizens too ar always looking for a way to rip the system even the one that's an opportunity to Japa....

We are all complaining about our corrupt leaders meanwhile we also have corrupt mindset.

The shameless letter writer Obasanjo is the disappointment for wasting 16 billion dollars of Nigeria's money without getting the sought after electricity, dashing Nigeria's territory of Bakassi to Cameroon like a coward and choosing a religious bigot like Obi to contest and fail the 2023 presidential election.

Debbie4ma:
We are all complaining about our corrupt leaders meanwhile we also have corrupt mindset.

Another letter loading. To whom this time around, I don't know

TINUBU has disappointed Africa😂😂😂
Agbadorians are hiding under their beds. E shock them, useless tribalists

Baba is a mixed blessing for Nigeria.
In some ways, he's the best Head of State ever. In other ways, you just want to blame him for everything.

On point

The mistake was allowing APC to take over govt.
That party is a coven of evil and wickedness

Disappointed and continuing to disappoint bunch of very unserious and unstable folks

talented321:
Obj u are the number one problem in this country, since they boot out your woman rapper goodluck and co''' u now act strange.
I u have your own result during the president election still yet u failed' u that used power to install governor in my dear state'' u now they complain. Oga go and relax

See agbado Mutula wey dey come online dey always claim respecting elders. Nah only the north they sabi respect.

Obasanjo contributed to the issue but I thought you Mutulas say you sabi respect?

Baba is stylishly gaslighting us.

What baba actually meant was that; he disappointed himself, Africa, and the whole world.

This shameless old man won’t keep quiet

This obj will not stop to amaze....
Why is he saying it as if he's never part of the system

No thanks to Hausa, Yoruba and Igbos.


The three most useless species God ever created

Take away those 3 species from the history of Nigeria and you'll have something that looks like a country

The judiciary has the last chance to save the sleeping giant, otherwise it would continue to deteriorate until it finally breaks up.

Removing the criminal drug lord is the first move that will herald national rebirth.