Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has shared powerful lessons on leadership during an international event marking his 89th birthday.
Reflecting on his time in prison under the late military dictator Sani Abacha, the elder statesman explained that true leadership requires standing by your principles, even when it is dangerous to do so.
Obasanjo stated that his imprisonment was proof that doing the right thing isn't always easy. He noted that real leaders must say "no" even when saying "yes" would be safer.
Drawing from his experience in the Nigerian Civil War, he spoke about the "loneliness of the final decision," where a leader must choose the path forward alone after everyone else has finished talking.
He recalled his decision in 1970 to show mercy and prevent civilian deaths at the end of the civil war, a move he says was guided by his own moral compass rather than a textbook.
Despite spending over three years in jail, Obasanjo said he would choose a life of service all over again because it allowed him to make a difference in history.
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