Dr Rachel Leslie, a prominent Pan-African scholar, has said that Nigeria possesses enough natural and human resources to transform itself without resorting to military rule, urging the country to embrace visionary civilian leadership instead.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans programme, Dr Leslie praised Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, for his bold developmental policies, describing him as a modern successor to African revolutionary icons like Thomas Sankara, Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere. However, she stressed that Nigeria’s situation is fundamentally different due to its scale and resources.
“Nigeria does not require a military junta to transform itself,” Leslie said. “The country is incredibly wealthy – from oil and gas to uranium, gold, diamonds, fertile land and a population of over 200 million. There is nothing Nigeria lacks, and that includes skilled and educated citizens.”
She argued that Nigeria, despite its challenges, has the potential to not only emulate but surpass what Traoré is currently doing in Burkina Faso, provided it gets its leadership priorities right.
The scholar, who was born in Paris during the intellectual era of Paris Noir, described Traoré as part of a lineage of African leaders committed to repurposing national resources for human development and regional empowerment. But she warned of the dangers of militarism becoming dominant in African political life.
“He must find a balance between asserting sovereignty and ensuring that civil and intellectual spaces remain open,” she said, while also expressing concern over his personal safety due to the geopolitical tensions his policies may provoke.
Leslie, whose academic background spans the US, Germany, and Nigeria, said Africa’s real battle remains poor leadership and the failure to learn from the past.
“What we need is leadership that learns from our history, not governments that repeat its mistakes,” she added. “Nigeria’s role as a continental leader is long overdue. It is time to rise.”
