Governor Alex Otti has urged African leaders to embrace discipline, invest in education, and develop human capital capable of transforming the continent’s natural resources into sustainable wealth.

Mr Otti gave the advice at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said prosperity was not determined by the size of a nation’s mineral deposits but by the quality of its leadership and the strength of its people’s intellect.

“No matter how much mineral resources you have, if you do not have the right leadership, you will not make progress,” Mr Otti said.

He added that natural resources without human intellect often become obstacles to a society’s development aspirations.

Mr Otti said while some nations had achieved progress with limited resources, others, richly endowed, continue to struggle due to poor leadership and weak governance structures. He noted that true progress is sustained by the discipline of leadership, the power of ideas, and the courage of execution.

The governor said development was a human function driven by intellect, discipline, and compassion. He urged African nations to prioritise education and human capital development, warning that without skilled citizens, mineral wealth would remain untapped and unproductive.

Mr Otti also called for a reform of Nigeria’s leadership recruitment system to prioritise merit over mediocrity. He said the setbacks experienced in recent decades were consequences of neglecting leadership development.

Speaking on Abia’s progress, Mr Otti said his administration allocates 20 per cent of its annual budget to education and health to strengthen human capital.

“Between July and mid-October, school enrolment increased by 100 per cent. We have recruited 5,000 teachers and plan to engage another 4,000,” he said.

He added that the state was investing 15 per cent of its budget in healthcare, in line with the 2001 Abuja Declaration.

“Our goal is to have well-equipped and staffed medical facilities within walking distance in every part of the state,” he said.

According to him, over 800 of the planned 1,200 primary healthcare centres have been made functional across the state.

Mr Otti commended Arun Mahadir, founder of the Oxford Global Centre, and former World Bank vice-president, Arunma Oteh, for their intellectual contributions to development.

(NAN)