Dr. Olusegun Aganga, former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, has identified the shortage of competent political leaders as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s growth and development.

Speaking at the launch of Dr. Olu Fasan’s book, “In the National Interest: The Road to Nigeria’s Political, Economic and Social Transformation”, Aganga emphasized that Nigeria produces exceptionally capable technocrats, but the political system, dominated by money politics and self-serving party structures, prevents these talents from emerging in leadership roles.

Key points from his address:

• Leadership gap: While Nigeria has many competent professionals, the political system fails to attract and empower leaders with vision, integrity, and national interest at heart.
• Human capital underutilized: With an average population age of 18.6 years, Nigeria’s demographic advantage is squandered due to insufficient investment in education, skills, and social welfare.
• Systemic challenges: Political recruitment is overly monetized and influenced by godfatherism, limiting the emergence of transformational leaders at federal, state, and local levels.
• Need for values-based leadership: Competence alone is insufficient; leaders must embody integrity, compassion, empathy, and justice, underpinning their vision with ethical governance.
• Development priorities: Aganga stressed that leaders should focus on education, skill acquisition, health, welfare, and tackling poverty, unemployment, and insecurity to convert Nigeria’s population into a productive force.

He concluded that addressing Nigeria’s political system and party structures, alongside cultivating values-based leadership, is essential for the country to achieve sustainable development and unlock its human capital potential.