On Monday August 26, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo voiced his concerns regarding the alarming levels of poverty plaguing the African continent.
His remarks came during the inauguration of the FESTAC Africa Festival held at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu, Kenya.
Obasanjo asserted that the rampant poverty in Africa is a result of human actions rather than divine intervention. He emphasized that with the continent’s vast wealth of resources, there is no justification for the increasing poverty rates.
“Africa should not be in a state of poverty. Our plight is not ordained by God. The roots of our poverty lie in our flawed mindset,” he declared.
The former president urged a collective awakening among Africans, citing the continent’s rich resources as a foundation for prosperity.
Furthermore, Obasanjo criticized the World Bank, alleging that its initiatives mislead African nations. He remarked, “Historically, whenever there was work to be done elsewhere, Africa was exploited to transport our people to the so-called New World, enriching others at our expense.”
He continued, “This cycle of exploitation has persisted. The slave trade evolved into colonialism, where we have continuously contributed to the wealth of others while remaining in poverty. It’s time for us to awaken and take action.”
Obasanjo expressed his disagreement with the World Bank’s structural adjustment programs, questioning what exactly they aimed to adjust in a system that lacked proper structure. “They were merely deceiving us,” he asserted.
