Obasanjo made the remarks on Wednesday while delivering a colloquium titled “Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Global Africa to the World” in Abeokuta as part of activities marking his 89th birthday.

Born on March 6, 1937, the former president said he had no doubt that God had preserved him for a purpose and kept him reasonably healthy at his age.

He condemned those spreading a fake letter allegedly written by him, claiming he was announcing his death.

“For my final note in this address, I want to point your attention to the work of some never-do-well.

“They publish and circulate a fake paper credited to me that I am writing, giving notice of my death, pafuka.

“That is their wish and surely not God’s wish for me… I dey kampe as usual,” he said.

Africa’s leadership crisis

Earlier in his address, Obasanjo lamented what he described as decades of leadership failure across Africa, saying the continent’s underdevelopment was not due to geography or history but poor governance.

“Africa is not a problem to be managed but a promise to be fulfilled through honest, courageous, selfless, incorruptible and transformational leadership,” he said.

He warned that many leaders begin with reformist promises but soon govern for personal gain, undermine democratic institutions, and silence dissent.

“The same young reformer who promised accountability begins to silence the press, harass the judiciary, and intimidate civil society,” he noted.

Burdens of leadership

Reflecting on his personal journey, Obasanjo recounted the moral weight of leadership decisions, including commanding troops during the Nigerian Civil War and later serving as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007.

He described the loneliness of leadership as the burden of making final decisions that affect millions of lives.

He also referenced his imprisonment under the late military ruler, Sani Abacha, where he was detained for three and a half years and nearly executed.

“True leadership requires the willingness to hold a position when it is unpopular… This costs friendships. It costs alliances. It sometimes costs your freedom,” he said.

Blessings of leadership

Despite the burdens, Obasanjo highlighted what he called the blessings of leadership, including moral self-definition and key national achievements such as the Paris Club debt relief and the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to combat corruption.

He urged young Africans to take democracy seriously and embrace accountable, transparent, and transformational governance.

“A continent that fails its youth does not merely waste a generation; it plants the seeds of instability that will haunt the next several generations,” he warned.

Reaffirming his vitality at 89, Obasanjo maintained that he remains agile and committed to service for as long as God permits.

“God has assured me He has more for me to do on earth… I dey kampe as usual,” he declared.