Politics
Obasanjo Tasks African Leaders On Continent’s Problems
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday, said that African leaders must find home-grown solutions to the myriads of problems confronting the continent.
Chief Obasanjo stated this while addressing a delegation of students and youths across African countries at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta.
The delegation, which included student leaders from Ethiopia and the Tigray region, was led by the president of the All-Africa Students’ Union (AASU), Osisiogu Osikenyi.
The students were on a “thank you” visit to Obasanjo for facilitating the permanent cessation of hostilities agreement between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) in Pretoria in 2022.
The former president insisted that “no problem in Africa is too great for us to solve.”
Chief Obasanjo said it was important for Africa to consider the peculiarities of its people in designing and implementing workable home-grown solutions to the problems confronting the continent.
He said that the African Union (AU) had taken a lead in finding home-grown solutions to the continent’s problems with the way it resolved the civil war between Tigray and Ethiopia.
“It is a great lesson for us to know that yes, whatever may be our problem – political, economic, social in Africa, we can solve them if we go about seeking solutions rightly.
“What is very important and which I want you to take very seriously is that what we were able to achieve in Tigray between TPLF and the Government of Ethiopia is what you and I will regard as finding African solutions to African problems.
“This is what our leaders have been clamouring for even from independence in the early 1960s.
“No problem in Africa is too great for us to solve; problem of peace, problem of insecurity, problem of youth unemployment, lack of empowerment, lack of skill acquisition and general bad governance,” Chief Obasanjo said.
In his remarks, the president of the Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions Students’ Union (EHEISU), Oli Wako, said that African students’ leaders were with Chief Obasanjo on a ‘thank you’ visit.
Mr Wako noted that the former president played a key role in the historic signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement between the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and Tigray Liberation Fronts.
According to him, the deadliest war in Tigray region of Ethiopia had brought immense tragedy, claiming the lives of countless young individuals and leaving behind widespread destruction and trauma.
He, however, noted that the move initiated by Chief Obasanjo had saved countless lives and provided a foundation upon which the war-torn region of Tigray could be rebuilt.
“Baba, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering commitment to brokering the peace agreement in Ethiopia.
“Your contributions have brought a new sense of hope to our people, and we stand here today, forever grateful for your remarkable efforts.
“It is with humility that we approach you today to seek your continued assistance,” he said.
The Commission disclosed the figure in its weekly update for week 14 of the second phase of the exercise, which ended on Friday, April 17, 2026.
According to the breakdown, 2,259,288 Nigerians completed their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 1,489,416 finalized their registration physically at designated centres nationwide.
INEC noted that the figures remain preliminary and are subject to further verification and data cleaning processes to ensure accuracy ahead of the consolidation of the national voter register.
With the conclusion of the registration phase, the Commission has now shifted focus to the display of the Register of Voters for Claims and Objections, a statutory stage aimed at strengthening the credibility and integrity of the voters register.
The display exercise is scheduled to hold from April 29 to May 5, 2026, across designated centres nationwide, providing citizens the opportunity to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.
The Commission urged all registered voters from the concluded phase to take advantage of the exercise to confirm the accuracy of their information and assist in identifying ineligible entries, including duplicate registrations, deceased persons, and non-citizens.
INEC explained that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise is being conducted in phases, with the first phase running from August 18 to December 10, 2025, while the second phase commenced on January 5, 2026 and ended on April 17, 2026.
The Commission further stated that the date for the commencement of the third phase will be announced in due course.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible elections, INEC stressed that maintaining a clean and accurate voter register remains central to ensuring free, fair, and transparent electoral processes in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, informed the journalists that the dialogue was sponsored by the European Union, under the auspices of the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 4: Support to Media.
According to the veteran media practitioner, the programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to promote credible elections through factual, accurate and fair reporting.
He explained that the programme is part of a broader five-year intervention designed to support democratic governance and improve the role of the media in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that fact-checking and inclusive reporting are critical responsibilities for journalists, especially during electioneering.
He described the media as a central role agent with regard to upholding transparency and accountability in the democratic process.
A resource person and Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Mr Taiwo Obe, enjoined journalists to embrace the evolving technology so that they would not be in the backwaters in the practice of the profession.
He advised journalists not to downplay Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their bid to remain relevant in the media environment by being abreast of the changing patterns of news consumption.
The journalism teacher explained that with digital transformation of the media industry, it had become imperative for journalists to constantly upgrade and update their skills, stressing the fundamental place of attitude and self-development and underscored the dynamic nature of media consumption in the digital age, thereby compelling journalists to embrace tools and platforms, but without much reliance on AI.
In his lecture, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Adebola Aderibigbe, advised journalists in Ekiti State to ensure that coverage of the upcoming governorship poll is issue-based rather than dwelling on personalities.
He added that sensationalism should not occupy the front-burner of any discussions concerning the 2026 election, admonishing that sustenance of democracy is anchored on responsible journalism.
”Journalists must prioritise accuracy, fairness and balance in their reports by verifying facts and giving all parties involved in political matters the opportunity to present their views”, he said.
According to the university don, the election will not be defined by personalities, but by issues. ”Let issues be the pivotal ring upon which every discussion should be made. Sensationalisation of issues should not be the bedrock of discussions in the 2026 election”, he added.
“Do not hear from Party A without hearing from Party B, otherwise the report will be skewed to one side and once issues of elections are skewed, problems will naturally arise”, he stressed.