Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said Nigeria’s development will remain hindered unless the country abandons what he described as primitive methods of selecting its leaders.
Jonathan made the remarks while speaking on the occasion of the 162nd anniversary of the birth of nationalist leader Herbert Macaulay.
Speaking at a memorial colloquium organized by the Macaulay Heritage Foundation in Lagos, Jonathan urged Nigerians to prioritize competence and merit over religious, ethnic and linguistic considerations when choosing political leaders.
He warned that the country’s enormous human and natural resources would remain underutilized if political decisions continued to be influenced by primordial sentiments.
The former president also identified leadership failures, corruption, weak institutions, policy inconsistency, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity and overdependence on raw material exports as major obstacles to Nigeria’s development.
Jonathan called for comprehensive democratic reforms, stronger institutions, functional education and research-driven universities to accelerate national development.
He further described Nigeria’s democratic system as opaque and amorphous, stressing the need for reforms that would guarantee popular participation, respect for human rights, judicial independence, accountability and the rule of law.
Comparing Nigeria’s development with that of South Korea, India and Singapore, Jonathan questioned why the countries had recorded significant progress in industrialization, technology, education and healthcare while Nigeria continued to struggle.
He challenged Nigerian leaders to consider the kind of country they intend to build ahead of the nation’s 100th independence anniversary in 2060.
According to him, “the country needs a national development agenda with clear objectives, measurable targets, timelines and defined responsibilities.”
Jonathan also urged young Nigerians to contribute to nation-building through innovation, enterprise, civic participation and accountability.
