Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike yesterday decried what he called the pervasive culture of transactional and mediocre leadership across Africa.
He warned that the continent’s persistent underdevelopment, despite its vast resources, is a direct consequence of poor governance and self-serving politics.
Wike said this in a keynote address, titled: Reimagining Africa’s Leadership and Investment, he delivered at this year’s edition of Innovate Africa Conference held at the ECOWAS Conference Hall in Abuja.
The minister regretted that Africa’s leadership trajectory under military and civilian dispensations has for decades been shaped by ‘self-serving conspiracies that bear little or no relation to national interest or development priorities’.
He said: ‘Africa today stands at a historic crossroads. On one hand, we are blessed with immense natural wealth, youthful energy, and creative potential; yet, we continue to grapple with weak institutions, infrastructural decay, poverty, and widespread unemployment. This is the paradox of our age. How can a continent so richly endowed remain so constrained?’ he queried.
The minister, who was honoured with the Innovate Africa Leadership Award 2025 at the event, stressed that the decisive factor at the heart of the continent’s paradox lies in leadership, the kind that defines whether abundance becomes prosperity or stagnation.
‘Leadership remains the fulcrum upon which the destinies of nations turn. When leadership is visionary, accountable, and courageous, even the most daunting obstacles can be transformed into opportunities,’ he said.
Wike called for a deliberate shift from ‘transactional leadership’ which he described as one driven by personal gain, patronage, and short-term calculations to transformational leadership anchored on vision, service, accountability, and courage.
He said: ‘The time has come to move beyond transactional leadership to embrace transformational governance that empowers rather than exploits, serves rather than rules, and builds rather than blames.’
The former Rivers State governor noted that Africa’s post-independence experience has largely been one of ‘groping in the dark,’ as many leaders have emerged unprepared for the magnitude of national challenges before them.
He added: ‘Consequently, we keep experimenting with the fundamentals of development basic infrastructure, primary healthcare, credible institutions, and functional economies. The result has been decades of missed opportunities.’
Wike urged African leaders to rediscover the ethos of servant-leadership, noting that true leadership is defined by empathy, humility, and a shared sense of responsibility.
‘Africa needs servant-leaders, not bosses who command, but mentors who inspire. Leadership is not about power or position; it is about trust, service, and shared purpose,’ he said.
Drawing parallels between effective leadership and infrastructural renewal, the FCT minister cited ongoing transformations in Abuja as proof that vision backed by a political will can translate aspirations into tangible outcomes.
‘In Abuja, we have seen how infrastructural renewal, anchored on commitment and accountability, can redefine a city’s identity and inspire public confidence. Roads once impassable now connect communities, and abandoned spaces now thrive with enterprise,’ he said.
Wike praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘courageous and reform-driven leadership,’ especially the removal of fuel subsidy, which he said previous administrations lacked the political will to implement.
He maintained that the President’s efforts to decentralize governance, devolve development through regional commissions, and strengthen security institutions are laying the foundation for national transformation.
‘President Tinubu demonstrated uncommon courage by confronting Nigeria’s toughest challenge, subsidy removal a decision that is already yielding dividends in increased revenue for development and economic stability,’ Wike said.