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Nigerian businessman and co-chair of the Oxford Global Think Tank (OGTT) Leadership Conference, Atedo Peterside, has identified leadership failure, rather than colonialism, as the core issue holding back African nations, particularly Nigeria.
He challenged the country’s elite to take responsibility for reversing the trend of poor leadership selection across all sectors.
Speaking at the conference, Peterside argued that while colonialism affected many continents, “what separates Africa from many other continents… is leadership.”
He cited Rwanda as an example of an African nation demonstrating what strong leadership can achieve.
Peterside emphasised that the issue extends beyond the presidency, stating, “I’m talking about leadership across the entire spectrum.”
He noted that well-functioning countries in Europe and Asia, such as China, ensure that individuals prove themselves as competent leaders at various lower levels before ascending to the top.
In contrast, Peterside lamented the Nigerian system: “Somebody who has been a failure all his life will suddenly find himself being uplifted and given a leadership position that he barely understands.”
He conceded that military rule often forced unprepared individuals into leadership roles. However, Peterside argued that since the return to democracy, the power to select leaders at all levels rests “in the hands of the Nigerian people.”
The co-chair of the OGTT Leadership Conference, addressing the audience composed largely of the country’s elite (“the top 1% of Nigerians”), insisted that they must share the blame for poor governance in their communities.
“If in my LGA there is poor leadership, I must be partly responsible because part of my contribution to Nigeria is supposed to help to ensure that we get good leadership at all levels,” he hinted.
He stated that the central mission of the conference should be to forge a consensus on the necessary actions to secure the right kind of leadership for Nigeria’s future.
