Saturday, May 17, 2025 - Former President Olusegun Obasanjo called for the urgent end to abject poverty across Africa.
Obasanjo stated that if China could lift 700 million people
out of poverty, Nigeria should be able to do something about the abject poverty
being faced by its citizens.
Speaking during Dele Momodu’s leadership lecture, ‘How to
end hunger and poverty in Africa,’ Obasanjo, in his keynote address, posited
that “before we talk about food, security is key.”
While proffering a lasting solution to hunger across Africa,
Obasanjo insisted that "education is one of the tools we can use to banish
poverty. Where there’s no education, invariably, there will be
poverty."
He also pointed out the place of leadership in ending abject
poverty.
He said: "In all works of life, we must have leaders
whose characters display ‘communality’.
"Leadership is the greatest ingredient for ending
poverty. There’s no human endeavour that does not thrive on leadership.
"To get it right, we must ensure no child is
uneducated.
"Nigeria can eliminate hunger and poverty with
integrity, discipline and good governance.
"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.
"Until we banish poverty in Africa, international
communities will not recognize us as a serious continent."
While congratulating President Obasanjo on his submission,
the Ooni of Ife urged everyone to be patriotic by collaborating with the
government.
He said, “If we want to break poverty in this country, we
have to be patriotic in all ramifications. From the food we eat to the clothes
we wear. We may not get it right at first, but in a short time we would be the
envy of the world.”
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