Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that effective leadership requires courage, difficult decisions and the willingness to act in the interest of the people, stressing that leadership is not for those seeking to please everyone.
Speaking at an event, Shettima praised the leadership style of Rwandan President Paul Kagame while noting that governing Nigeria comes with unique challenges due to its large population.
“People celebrate Rwanda. I adore Paul Kagame. People talk about Seychelles. Yes, the economy has turned the corner. But what is the population of Botswana? Not more than Shomolu 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 half the population of Lagos State. So numbers count. Take it or leave it. Nigeria is a great nation.”
The Vice President also urged Nigerians to embrace agriculture as a key driver of economic growth, employment and national development.
Highlighting efforts to attract investment into the agricultural sector, Shettima commended Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno for his swift response to a proposed $500 million investment in oil palm production by a Malaysian company.
“I called the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno. First dial, he picked the phone… These are people who are willing to invest 500 million dollars on oil palm. They will start with 10,000 hectares in Akwa Ibom. He said, ‘Give them, let them come and start work at once.’ This is leadership. Leadership means walking the talk.”
Emphasising the qualities of a good leader, Shettima said leadership is about making difficult choices rather than pursuing popularity.
“Leadership is about taking parochial decision. And leadership is not meant for nice men. Nice men should be selling chocolates and ice cream.”