Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on African nations to embrace a generational shift in leadership, emphasizing the need to promote younger leaders between 25 and 50 years old.
He argued that this age group is better physically and mentally prepared to handle the challenges of modern governance.
Jonathan made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja during the International Memorial Lecture and Leadership Conference, held to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed.
Reflecting on the demands of leadership, Jonathan noted that during his tenure he often had only two hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, stressing that advanced age can limit one’s capacity to manage the pressures of office.
“Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?” he asked, urging nations to prioritize the inclusion of energetic and capable younger leaders.
