Nigeria a disappointment to Africa in last 63 years – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday described Nigeria as a big disappointment to Africa and the rest of the world.

Obasanjo, who delivered the keynote address at the public presentation of the book titled: “Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa,” written by a former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, expressed concern at the country’s inability to live up expectations 63 years after independence.

The event was attended by President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan and other prominent Nigerians.

The ex-president said: “Over the last 63 years, we have not lived up to expectations. We have disappointed ourselves; we have disappointed Africa; we have disappointed the black race; and we have disappointed the world.

“But the beginning of charting a new course for ourselves is to admit our failure because we have not always put the round peg in the round hole.

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“We are carried along by ego and emotion of self, selfishness and self-centeredness, ethnic and religious jingoism, with total lack of understanding of the world we live in and gross misunderstanding of what development entails and how to move fast and continuously on the trajectory of development.

“Let me add this, there are two things we need in order to achieve all-round development. These are peace and security, which we cannot achieve without justice, equity and inclusive society. And telling ourselves the truth, we have not done well on these scores in the recent past—in the last decade and a half.

“I will also point at the issue of education, where over 20 million children that should be in school are not in school. We do not need an oracle to tell us the consequences of that for tomorrow.”

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