Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared the newly inaugurated Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI) as more than a training centre—calling it a continental movement to reclaim Africa’s future through principled and people-focused leadership.
Speaking at the formal inauguration of the Institute’s Governing Board at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, on Tuesday, Obasanjo said the Institute represents a personal and continental turning point.
“OOLI is not just an institution; it is a movement,” he said.
“A movement to reclaim the African leadership narrative and invest in a new generation of prepared, ethical, and visionary leaders.”
The Institute, which has received the National Universities Commission (NUC)’s blessing as an affiliate of Bells University of Technology, is now fully operational.
Obasanjo said OOLI would blend elements from military discipline, academic rigour, and strategic policy thinking—without replicating any single model like NIPSS or traditional universities.
“Africa’s greatest asset is its people,” Obasanjo stressed, “and with the right leadership, there is no limit to what this continent can achieve in partnership with the rest of the world.”
In his remarks, the former president pointedly blamed Africa’s lingering development crises on a “deficit in effective, ethical, transformational, and visionary leadership.”
Drawing from his over seven decades of public service and leadership experience, he said OOLI was his answer to the deepening leadership gap across the continent.
The Board’s inauguration drew commendation from Obasanjo for several prominent African leaders who, he noted, have shaped governance across the continent.
Among them: President John Mahama of Ghana, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, and former Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim.
Obasanjo gave special thanks to Mahama for commissioning the Institute’s headquarters on March 5, 2024, and praised the Ghanaian leader’s early strides since returning to power.
“Even within a few months of your presidency, your imprint on Ghana’s development is unmistakable,” Obasanjo said. “Your belief in the power of leadership to transform nations is evident and inspiring.”
Obasanjo said the OOLI is designed to become a continental hub for cultivating leaders with the “skills, vision, and values” to move Africa forward. Programmes will target individuals across sectors—public service, private enterprise, civil society, and youth movements.
He emphasised that the Institute would forge partnerships with similar global organisations to foster mutual learning and innovation.
“This is not just a milestone for me personally,” Obasanjo noted, “it is a defining moment for Africa’s leadership trajectory. The OOLI will be a beacon—lighting the path from potential to prosperity.”
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