Jonathan: Nigeria Not Worthy Of ‘Giant Of Africa’ Title
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that Nigeria does not have the evidence to justify its nickname as the “Giant of Africa”, citing the slow pace of development and the lack of vision among the leaders.
He made this remark on Tuesday in Abuja, at the launch of a book titled “Development as Attitude” by Osita Ogbu, a former minister of national planning. Jonathan, who wrote the foreword of the book, said that the attitude of the leaders and the citizens must change to reflect the national interests and aspirations.
He said that being elected president does not automatically make one a leader, and that leadership requires some attributes, such as a clear vision and a personal philosophy. He lamented that the over-politicization of issues in the country has hindered the progress of science and technology programmes, which he initiated during his tenure.
He recalled that he was invited by the US president to the first nuclear summit because of Nigeria’s nuclear programme, but regretted that the programme has not advanced since then. He also mentioned the presidential special scholarship for innovation and development, which he created to send the best brains in the STEM fields to the top universities in the world, but said that the programme was criticized by the house of representatives for excluding some states.
He urged the leaders and the citizens to tap into the potential of the Nigerian youth and to support their aspirations to go to space. He said that Nigeria cannot afford to be complacent and to lag behind in the global arena, where countries are respected for what they can offer in terms of development.
He commended Ogbu for writing the book, which he said would be useful to address the nation’s challenges. Ogbu, in his response, said that the book was inspired by his experience as a minister and a professor, and that he hoped to contribute to the discourse on development in Nigeria. He also said that the gap between the rich and the poor was a major factor for the bad decisions made by the citizens, and called for innovative ways to tackle poverty.
