Nigeria Deserves Respect, Not Threats’ – Obasanjo Fires Back At Trump, Reveals His Own Strategy

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday recalled that during his tenure as Nigeria’s Head of State, the late US President Jimmy Carter always kept Nigeria informed about American actions in Africa.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the Presidential Youth Mentorship Retreat (6.0) organized by the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library’s Youth Development Centre, Obasanjo did not directly reference current US President Donald Trump. However, he highlighted the global respect Nigeria once commanded, particularly through his interactions with Carter, who passed away in December 2024 at the age of 100. Earlier this year, Obasanjo hosted a memorial service in Abeokuta, delivering glowing tributes to the late US leader.

Obasanjo emphasized that from independence, Nigeria was recognized by the international community, especially the United States, as Africa’s leading nation. Although global confidence wavered over time, he said it was restored during the Murtala-Obasanjo military government.

“From independence, the world saw us as Africa’s leader. At some point we lost that confidence, but the Murtala-Obasanjo regime brought it back,” he said.

Illustrating Nigeria’s former diplomatic influence, Obasanjo recalled that while he was Head of State, US President Jimmy Carter “would not do anything in Africa without informing us. They were not taking permission from us, but they would tell us what they were doing.”

He added, “When I was military head of state, three American presidents visited Nigeria. They hadn’t lost interest in what Nigeria had to offer. At independence, the world saw Nigeria as a rising giant. After independence, that perception faded, but Murtala and I restored it. The Americas saw Nigeria as a potential leader of Africa.”

Obasanjo also reflected on the idealism of himself and fellow young military leaders, all under 40 at the time, who were motivated by a vision of liberating Africa and advancing Nigeria, rather than by financial gain.

“We were young, idealistic, and knew what we wanted for Nigeria. It wasn’t about money. We were probably a bit naïve, but our ambition was not money,” he said.

The retreat, themed “Africa and the Conflicts in Europe and the Middle East,” brought together youths from across Nigeria and other African countries. During the session, Obasanjo urged African youths to be “positively disruptive” in order to claim their rightful positions in leadership.

Citing examples of entrenched leadership across Africa, Obasanjo stressed that youths must see themselves as leaders today, not just tomorrow.

“You are leaders of today because if you leave tomorrow in the hands of leaders who are there today, they will destroy it, and you won’t have a tomorrow,” he said, referencing Cameroon’s recent election and 92-year-old President Paul Biya.

He encouraged young Nigerians to leverage their numbers to influence governance and leadership: “You have the number, but the number will only matter when you use it to your advantage.”

However, Obasanjo expressed concern that some youths in government positions have yet to prove that they can be fully trusted. He concluded by noting that since his departure from power, no US President has visited Nigeria.