The world has been described as a village, but former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo believes we’re all living in a little closer quarters.
“It’s becoming more like a room that we’re all living in, and whatever happens to you is felt by everybody,” said Obasanjo, who ruled the African nation from 1999 to 2007, rising from the ranks of the military to lead his nation from civil war to democracy. “If what happens is bad, it affects everybody. If the toilet is bad, it stinks for everybody.”
That statement drew laughs from the crowd at the Vicente Fox Forum of World Leaders in November when the Fox, the former president of Mexico, and Obsanjo discussed the appeal of democracy and described one another as “game changers” in their respective countries.
“We all talk about democracy,” Obasanjo said. “Whether you are in China, in the U.S., in India, or in Russia, or in Nigeria, we all like that word democracy. Of course, there is not one way to practice democracy.”
But the idea of an engaged citizenry is universally attractive, he said, and a market economy is a common language.
“I believe in the world we are in today and the world that will be opening in front of us in the few years to come, democracy will be the adopted,” he said, noting that if we all live in the same room we must consider acting in ways that make the shared space, “a wholesome location for all to enjoy and live together.”
Young people should think beyond themselves and their loved ones, Obasanjo said. “What can you do to prepare yourself to be of service to humanity, not just your family, not just your community? I believe that is what should be utmost in our leaders today and in the foreseeable future.”
Obasanjo described enlisting in the Nigerian army in the late 1950s and protecting his home nation during a series of coups. When civil war erupted, he successfully won the trust of the military and established a chain of command, ultimately re-establishing security in the capital of Lagos and regaining control.
Obasanjo was appointed as head of state by the Supreme Military Council and vowed to restore civilian government in 1979 and carry forward reforms to improve the quality of public service. He handed over the government to an elected president.
After he retired from the military, another coup in the 1990s changed regimes. Obasanjo denounced new human rights abuses and was imprisoned for five years, during which he converted to Christianity. Released after the death of dictator Sani Abacha, Obasanjo ran for president and won, despite losing the vote in his home tribal area.
In eight years, he won favor with Western allies and bolstered Nigeria economy while supporting peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Obasanjo’s story prompted Fox to label him a “game changer.”
“He is like [George] Washington, [Nelson] Mandela and MLK [Martin Luther King, Jr.],” Fox said.