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Leadership is not meant for nice men — Shettima

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has said effective leadership requires courage and decisive action, stressing that leaders must be willing to take difficult decisions in the interest of national development.

Shettima stated this on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit in Abuja.

During his address, the Vice President praised Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, while highlighting the unique challenges associated with governing a country with Nigeria’s large and diverse population.

“People celebrate Rwanda. I adore Paul Kagame. People talk about Seychelles. Yes, the economy has turned the corner,” he said.

However, Shettima argued that comparisons between Nigeria and smaller African countries should take population size into account.

“What is the population of Botswana? Not more than Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos. What is the population of Seychelles? Not more than two wards in Kano metropolis.

“What is the population of Rwanda? The population of Rwanda is about half the population of Lagos State. So numbers count. Take it or leave it, Nigeria is a great nation,” he said.

The Vice President also urged Nigerians to rediscover the country’s agricultural heritage, noting that agriculture once served as the backbone of the nation’s economy and remains a critical source of jobs and economic opportunities.

“We began as an agrarian economy and the foundation of this nation was laid upon it.

“Let us remember that our agricultural heritage has provided hope to the hopeless. It has provided jobs for a mass of humanity,” he said.

Shettima further commended Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, for his swift response to a proposed investment in oil palm production.

According to him, representatives of one of Malaysia’s leading oil palm producers recently visited his office alongside their Nigerian partners to discuss plans to invest $`500 million in Nigeria’s oil palm sector.

“They came to my office with their Nigerian counterpart. I called the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno. He picked the phone and these are people who are willing to invest $500 million in oil palm.

“They will start with 10,000 hectares in Akwa Ibom. He said, ‘Let them come and start work at once.’ This is leadership,” he said.

Shettima added that leadership is about taking responsibility and making difficult decisions rather than seeking popularity.

“Leadership means walking the talk. Leadership is about taking tough decisions.

“And leadership is not meant for nice men. Nice men should be selling chocolates, ice cream,” he said.

Watch the video below:

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖

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