Wike advocates transformational leadership, self-reliance at Innovate Africa 2025 Conference

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), His Excellency, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has urged African leaders to embrace a new paradigm of leadership and investment driven by vision, accountability, and self-reliance.

Wike made the call on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the Innovate Africa Conference 2025 held at the ECOWAS Conference Hall in Abuja. The conference, organized by Innovate Africa Corporation, brought together political leaders, investors, innovators, and development experts from across the continent to discuss pathways for Africa’s transformation.

In his address titled “Reimagining Africa’s Leadership and Investment,” Wike said Africa stands “at a historic crossroads” — a continent endowed with immense potential yet constrained by weak institutions, infrastructural deficits, and poor governance.

“Leadership remains the fulcrum upon which the destinies of nations turn,” he stated. “It determines whether our vast resources become a blessing or a curse; whether our diversity becomes strength or division.”

The Minister emphasized that Africa’s development challenges can only be resolved through transformational leadership anchored on courage, service, and integrity.

“Leadership must not exploit but empower; it must not rule but serve; it must not merely transact but transform,” Wike declared.

Commends President Tinubu’s Reforms

Citing the bold reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and efforts to decentralize governance, Wike described them as examples of “courageous and visionary leadership in action.”

He said President Tinubu’s decisions, though difficult, are beginning to yield positive outcomes, including increased revenues for states and local governments, as well as improved fiscal stability.

According to him, “True leadership is not about convenience but conviction. It is about the courage to take difficult decisions today for the prosperity of tomorrow.”

Infrastructure as a Catalyst for Growth

Highlighting Abuja’s ongoing infrastructural renewal, Wike noted that roads, bridges, and public spaces in the capital have undergone significant transformation, reflecting what can be achieved when “vision meets political will.”

“Infrastructure is not merely about physical development; it is about opportunity, access, and dignity,” he said. “It connects farmers to markets, children to schools, patients to hospitals, and innovators to investors.”

He maintained that the success of Abuja’s renewal programme demonstrates the potential of purposeful governance in driving economic confidence and attracting investment.

Call for a New Investment Model

On investment, Wike stressed the need for Africa to move beyond foreign aid and dependency, urging leaders to focus on building strong, self-sustaining economies.

“Development cannot be donated; it must be built,” he asserted. “No continent can achieve greatness through the benevolence of others. Africa must rise beyond aid and take responsibility for its own progress.”

He advocated for investment models that are productive, inclusive, and transformative, with particular emphasis on infrastructure, innovation, education, agriculture, and the empowerment of youth and women.

“Seventy percent of Africa’s population is under the age of 30,” he said. “If we invest in our youth through education, skills, and entrepreneurship, we will unlock the greatest demographic dividend in human history.”

AfCFTA and Africa’s Economic Future

Wike also described the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a milestone in Africa’s pursuit of economic liberation, calling it “the modern reawakening of the Lagos Plan of Action.”

With over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding $3 trillion, he said the AfCFTA positions Africa as the next frontier of global growth.

“The AfCFTA is not merely a trade agreement; it is a declaration that Africa will no longer be a supplier of raw materials and a dumping ground for finished goods,” he said. “It is the cornerstone of Africa’s economic independence.”

A Call to Action

Concluding his keynote, Wike urged African leaders to act decisively in redefining the continent’s destiny.

“Africa’s future will not be given to us. We must build it — and we must build it now,” he declared. “The question before us is not whether Africa can rise, but whether we have the courage to lead, the wisdom to invest, and the will to unite.”

He called on governments, investors, and citizens to work together to achieve inclusive growth and sustainable development across the continent.

During the conference, Wike was also conferred with the Innovate Africa Leadership Award 2025 for his contributions to infrastructural development and visionary governance in the Federal Capital Territory.

The two-day Innovate Africa Conference continues in Abuja, with sessions focusing on governance reform, digital innovation, and intra-African trade.