Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, have all spoken out about the need to urgently end deep poverty in Africa.
Obasanjo said Nigeria should not be facing extreme poverty, especially when China was able to help 700 million people out of it.
He made these statements during a leadership lecture hosted by Dele Momodu. The event was titled “How to End Hunger and Poverty in Africa.” Obasanjo, who gave the keynote speech, said that safety must come first before solving food problems.
Obasanjo said education is a powerful tool that can help fight poverty. In places where people are not educated, poverty will continue to grow.
He also explained that leadership matters when trying to reduce poverty. Good leaders should care for their people and work together with communities.
According to Obasanjo, every part of society needs good leadership. He believes that no child should be left out of school if Africa wants to end poverty.
He added that Nigeria can beat hunger and poverty if the country follows the right path — honesty, discipline, and strong leadership. He reminded everyone that China’s success proves it is possible.
Obasanjo warned that poverty should not be part of Nigeria’s future. If the country does nothing, it will face big problems. “We are sitting on a gunpowder keg,” he said.
He also mentioned that the rest of the world will not take Africa seriously if poverty continues across the continent.
The Ooni of Ife agreed with Obasanjo and asked Nigerians to love their country and work together with the government.
He said being patriotic means supporting local products — like eating local food and wearing locally made clothes. He believes this will help the country grow faster and become an example to the world.
Governor Ademola Adeleke also praised Dele Momodu for opening the leadership center in Ibadan. He pointed out that many leaders ignore the advice of wise people and stay far away from the people they serve.
Adeleke added that one big problem is that many leaders do not fear God. He said he invited Obasanjo twice to Osun State to see the fast progress happening there.
He proudly said he is building a modern road system in Osun, like the popular “spaghetti junction” found in Atlanta, USA.
