On Monday, former president Olusegun Obasanjo suggested that Nigeria seek a solution from the Zimbabwean administration over the nation’s record-breaking inflation.
He pointed out that Zimbabwe, a country in southern Africa, would offer helpful counsel for Nigeria because the latter had recently faced and overcome a similar issue.
Nigeria’s inflation rate was reported by the National Bureau of Statistics to be 29.9% in their most recent report.
Nigerians are currently facing rising food costs, which is contributing to the country’s high cost of living. There have been isolated protests around the nation.
Speaking on Monday at a symposium on youth leadership as part of the celebrations for his 87th birthday, Obasanjo stated that Nigeria could learn from Zimbabwe.
The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta hosted a conference with the theme “Opportunities for Peace: Roles of the Youths in Conflict Prevention in Africa.”
It was assembled by the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and the Center for Human Security and Dialogue in partnership with the Institute for African Culture and International Understanding.
The former president stated that in difficult times, one should not give up but rather confront the issue head-on and learn from people who have faced and overcome similar difficulties in the past.
“No problem is new and no problem will be permanent. The tough must get going when the going gets tough,” he remarked. Suicide is never the solution to a problem; instead, face it head-on and confide in God, who is able to intervene in any situation. When you’re facing a challenge, consider people who have faced it before and how they overcome it.
“We currently face the issue of rapidly rising inflation, but have there been any recent examples of such difficulties in any other country? Indeed, we do; Zimbabwe recently had this issue. Even though our strategy will be different, shouldn’t we still ask them how they accomplished it? Even though our actions will differ, we can still ask questions to help us find our way.
Obasanjo also asserted that peaceful talks would be a better means of resolving the numerous crises on the African continent than the use of force or other weapons.
In order to inspire young people to be at the forefront of promoting peace rather than being exploited to carry out acts of violence across the continent, he added that now more than ever, deliberate efforts must be made to develop and instill in them a culture of peace and security.
“We need to start instilling a culture of peace and security in our young people,” he declared. There’s a good possibility that peace will exist in areas with a culture of love. The first step is to instill in the young people the principles of love and camaraderie, which are the foundations of peace.
“Look at the qualities that God gave us—kindness, mercy, and forgiveness, to name a few—so that we can live stable, peaceful lives. God claims to possess all of these qualities, and He gave them to us in order to improve our quality of life. However, there will be an issue if we undermine him and foster bad attitudes.
He made reference to the biblical figures Joseph, who “helped to fight famine,” and Esther, “who was able to secure her race from being exterminated.”
“The pursuit of peace must start with the youth. They have to be able to convince people to reconsider if they think using guns and violence to resolve disputes is the best course of action. Talking and talking is the way out.
“During the Civil War, we experienced some difficulties here. Even though we brutally killed ourselves and destroyed our greatest facilities, we returned to the roundtable to find a solution to the problem.
“Youths need to cultivate a culture of harmony, compassion, and following God’s will for their lives,” Obasanjo continued.
The symposium’s main goal, according to Prof. Peter Okebukola, the program coordinator and former executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, was to emphasize even more Obasanjo’s dedication to African youth.
According to Okebukola, the director of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library’s Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, “This event is a testament to the belief that it is not enough to grant young people a seat at the table; their involvement must be vital and meaningful.”
“We hope to empower West African youths as agents of positive change, paving the way for a more peaceful and harmonious society, through targeted interventions, inclusive policies, and international collaboration.”