Leadership is Not meant For Nice Men, Says Vice President Shettima

• Vice President Kashim Shettima says leadership requires courage and tough decisions, declaring that “leadership is not meant for nice men”.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said effective leadership requires courage, decisive action and the willingness to make difficult decisions, declaring that leadership is “not meant for nice men.”

Speaking on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit in Abuja, Shettima said leaders must prioritise national development over the desire to be popular.

“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.

The Vice President also praised Rwandan President Paul Kagame for his leadership but cautioned against making direct comparisons between Nigeria and smaller African countries without considering their population sizes.

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

Shettima noted that countries often compared with Nigeria have significantly smaller populations.

“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 stated.

The Vice President urged Nigerians to rediscover the country’s agricultural heritage, describing agriculture as the foundation of Nigeria’s economy and a major source of employment.

“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 also commended Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno for his swift response to a proposed $500 million investment in Nigeria’s oil palm sector.

According to him, representatives of one of Malaysia’s leading oil palm producers recently visited his office with their Nigerian partners to discuss the investment.

“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,” Shettima said.

He maintained that leadership is ultimately about accepting responsibility and taking bold decisions that benefit the country.