At 89, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is opening up about the "heavy burden" of leading a nation like Nigeria.
During a keynote speech titled “Burden and Blessing of Leadership,” he told the audience that carrying a country on your shoulders is the greatest challenge a man can face—but also his greatest reward.
Obasanjo argued that leadership without strong values is just "mere management." He believes his survival through prison and war proves that a leader's character is tested most in times of crisis.
Even after facing hardship and a long prison sentence under the Abacha regime, he described the opportunity to serve Nigeria as a "profound blessing."
He emphasized that leaders must carry the weight of their decisions alone, especially when those choices affect the lives of millions of people.
The former President highlighted that the gratitude of a country is the highest honor a leader can receive, concluding that at his age, the struggles and the successes of leadership have become one and the same.
