{"id":5275,"date":"2025-11-12T11:01:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T11:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/?p=5275"},"modified":"2025-11-12T11:01:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T11:01:14","slug":"obasanjo-under-my-watch-the-us-couldnt-act-in-africa-without-nigerias-knowledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/obasanjo-under-my-watch-the-us-couldnt-act-in-africa-without-nigerias-knowledge\/","title":{"rendered":"Obasanjo: \u2018Under My Watch, the US Couldn\u2019t Act in Africa Without Nigeria\u2019s Knowledge\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reignited debate about Nigeria\u2019s fading diplomatic influence, recalling a time when the United States could not do anything in Africa without first notifying Nigeria.<\/em><\/p>\n

Speaking at the Presidential Youth Mentorship Retreat in Abeokuta on Monday, the former military ruler and civilian president reflected on Nigeria\u2019s stature under his leadership, saying that during his tenure as Head of State, the late US President Jimmy Carter held the country in great regard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was military Head of State, President Jimmy Carter would not do anything in Africa without informing us\u201d<\/em>. \u201cThey were not taking permission from us, but they would tell us what they were doing\u201d<\/em> – Obasanjo said.<\/p>\n

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Obasanjo\u2019s comment appeared to allude to the current diplomatic tension sparked by former US President Donald Trump\u2019s recent online statements threatening possible US military intervention in Nigeria over religious violence. While Obasanjo made no direct reference to Trump, his remarks painted a perceived erosion of Nigeria\u2019s regional clout and global respect.<\/p>\n

Obasanjo\u2019s reflection is as much nostalgic as it is a critique. During the 1970s, Nigeria\u2019s foreign policy, anchored on anti-apartheid activism, peacekeeping and pan-African solidarity, earned her a reputation as the giant of Africa<\/em>. Washington viewed Lagos as a critical partner in Cold War Africa. However, in this present times, the country\u2019s foreign policy voice has grown quieter amid domestic insecurity, economic instability and governance challenges.<\/p>\n

Some analysts say Obasanjo\u2019s comments highlight a loss of strategic confidence. \u201cIn the 1970s, Nigeria could shape African diplomacy. Now, it\u2019s reacting to crisis rather than defining them\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Nigeria\u2019s diplomatic power, was once drew from its oil wealth and economic promise. Under Obasanjo, the nation\u2019s petroleum reserves and active participation in OPEC gave it leverage in global negotiations. But in recent years, falling oil production, policy inconsistency and foreign investment flight have weakened that advantage. Economic observers note that influence follows economic strength; and Nigeria\u2019s current fiscal woes have diminished its ability to project leadership even within West Africa, where smaller economies like Ghana and Senegal now attract more investors\u2019 confidence.<\/p>\n

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Addressing hundreds of young participants at the retreat themed – Africa and the Conflicts in Europe and the Middle East,<\/em> Obasanjo urged African youths to be positively disruptive<\/em>, warning that leaving leadership to the current political class would destroy tomorrow. He challenged them to translate their demographic strength into political power. \u201cYou have the number, but the number will only matter when you use it to your advantage\u201d<\/em> – he said.<\/p>\n

His words struck at the heart of Nigeria\u2019s generational divide. While the \u201cNot Too Young To Run\u201d<\/em> law opened space for youth participation, many young politicians have been co-opted by older elites, struggling to build credibility. Obasanjo himself acknowledged this, admitting that some youths in government have not proven that they can be absolutely trusted. Obasanjo\u2019s statements are not just about history. They are a subtle call for a national reset.<\/p>\n

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As geopolitical attention shifts toward Africa\u2019s strategic minerals and population boom, Nigeria\u2019s role as a stabilizing force is under question. Critics argue that for the country to regain global respect, it must rebuild credibility at home; strengthen governance, curb corruption and empower a new generation of leaders with vision and integrity.<\/p>\n

In remembering an era when the US sought Nigeria\u2019s counsel before acting in Africa, Obasanjo seemed to be saying what many Nigerians feel that the nation once commanded respect and with the right leadership, it could again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reignited debate about Nigeria\u2019s fading diplomatic influence, recalling a time…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-nigeria"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1.png",2298,1472,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-300x192.png",300,192,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-768x492.png",640,410,true],"large":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-1024x656.png",640,410,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-1536x984.png",1536,984,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-2048x1312.png",2048,1312,true],"wpucv-grid-three":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-360x240.png",360,240,true],"wpucv-grid-two":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-600x400.png",600,400,true],"wpucv-grid-one":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-800x533.png",800,533,true],"wpucv-classic":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-320x170.png",320,170,true],"wpucv-classic-small":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-150x110.png",150,110,true],"wpucv-galary":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-400x400.png",400,400,true],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-1115x715.png",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-800x500.png",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-1024x656.png",1024,656,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-540x340.png",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/obasanjo-1-400x250.png",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"info":["Saint Rich"]},"category_info":"Africa<\/a> Nigeria<\/a>","tag_info":"Nigeria","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5275"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5286,"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5275\/revisions\/5286"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}