Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday unveiled the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute, a new initiative aimed at reshaping Africa’s leadership landscape by nurturing a generation of visionary, principled, and people-centered leaders.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described the institute as more than just a training facility—it is a movement designed to bridge the critical leadership gap on the continent.
While clarifying that the institute is not a military organisation, Obasanjo noted it would adopt the discipline and strategic thinking of military training, as well as draw inspiration from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Jos.
During the inauguration of the institute’s governing board at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the former president charged members to operate with the firm belief that Africa’s most valuable asset is its people. He emphasized the need to cultivate leaders who are not only competent but also deeply committed to the public good.
Obasanjo, who served as the institute’s board chairman, recalled that the establishment was borne out of his over seven decades of understudying leadership development in Africa.
“For more than 70 years, I have observed and engaged with the complex tapestry of Africa’s developmental journey.
“While our continent is rich in human and natural endowments, we have persistently fallen short in translating this potential into sustainable development, peace, and prosperity—largely because of deficits in leadership at various levels,” he said.
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He added, “The establishment of the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute is one of my earnest responses to this challenge.
“I conceived OOLI as a platform to raise and strengthen leaders who are not only equipped for today’s realities but also prepared to navigate the complexities of tomorrow.
“Today, I am pleased to formally announce that the institute, which has received the blessing of the National Universities Commission as an affiliate of the Bells University of Technology, is now ready for the full take-off of its programmes,” he said.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo extended commendation to several African leaders for their contributions to redefining leadership across the continent.
He specifically praised President John Mahama of Ghana, former President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim of Mauritius, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and former Senegalese President Macky Sall for playing pivotal roles in shifting the leadership narrative in Africa toward integrity, vision, and people-centered governance.
Obasanjo lauded their efforts as examples of the kind of transformative and accountable leadership the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute aims to foster, highlighting them as torchbearers of a new, progressive chapter in Africa’s political evolution.