Former Senate President of Nigeria Senator Anyim Pius Anyim has maintained that the situation of Nigeria presently, is in urgent need of men and women who will think, act and live like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbert Macaulay, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Michael Okpara, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief J.S Tarka, Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye, Alhaji Aminu Kano and the host of other similar leaders.
According to Anyim, these leaders understood that nation-building is an arduous task that calls for sacrifice, patience, tolerance, accommodation and consensus-building.
He then charged present leaders of Nigeria to imbibe the principle of unity in diversity and become their brothers’ keeper which he said was the spirit that guided the leaders in the past to secure a free and independent nation.
He said the past leaders were guided in their actions by what was best for the citizens of Nigeria by providing leadership that inspired their followers.
Anyim stated this in his acceptance speech after receiving the 2020 Zik Prize award held in Lagos.
He, however, expressed immense gratitude to the Award Selection Committee for the honour given to them.
He said, “The revered Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, exemplified principled, committed and focused leadership. Zik was an outstanding and charismatic leader. A passionate patriot; an unapologetic nationalist; a relentless defender of justice and an ardent believer in the unity of Nigeria.
“These qualities stood Zik and his fellow nationalists out as leaders who rose to the challenges of their time, who fought with all they had, liberated us from the shackles of colonialism and laid a solid foundation for a nation with every potential to be a strong and respected voice among the comity of nations.
“Permit me to further mention that the challenges of leadership will be much more daunting as we move towards the second quarter of the 21st Century (2026 – 2050) due to the effects of the 4th industrial revolution popularly known as Industry 4.0. Therefore, the demand for leadership in present-day Nigeria has become more daunting. For instance, our population has risen from about 45 million in 1960 to over 200 million in 2020.
“Most of that population are in the youthful bracket. Our economy has moved from the boom of the 1960s and 1970s to cycles of stunted growth and recession in the last decade. Our educational institutions have moved from the best rankings in the 1960s to mediocre positions in the 2020s. Our Naira has depreciated from 65 kobo to a dollar in the early 1980s to the present N568 to a dollar in 2021.
“Our labour market has moved from the employment of choice in the 1970s to crises of underemployment and unemployment in the 2020s. In agriculture, we have gone from a net exporter of food and cash crops to a nation of food insecurity and import dependence.”
Anyim, however, insisted that Nigeria needs a leadership approach with vision, capacity, inclusiveness and determination to transform the challenges to a success story, adding that in the next 25 years, oil companies and oil explorations will continue to phase out and depress economies that are oil-dependent with consequential social and economic effects.
Other award recipients are H.E Babajide Sanwo-Olu, H.E Engr. Abdullahi Sule, H.E Akinwumi Adesina, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, H.E Mrs Ekaette Unuoma Akpabio, Dr Bashir Y. Jamoh; Dr Olorunnimba Mamora, Mr U.K. Eke and Mr Uche Orji.
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