President of Ghana, John Mahama, yesterday, described the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI) as “poised to be a model for leadership capacity building in Africa.”

He made the remarks while inaugurating the 13-member Governing Board of OOLI in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The board is chaired by the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, with retired General Martin Luther Agwai serving as director.

The Governing Board includes notable personalities such as former President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, former President Macky Sall of Senegal, and former President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim of Mauritius.

Also on the board are Prof. Benedict Okey Oramah, President of Afreximbank; Prof. Funmi Olonisakin of King’s College London; Ambassador Barry Desker of Singapore; Prof. PLO Lumumba of Kenya; Dr Kofo Obasanjo-Blackshire of London; Prof. Peter Okebukola; and Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran.

Speaking to newsmen after the inauguration, Mahama recalled his commissioning of the Institute’s headquarters in March 2024 and hailed the inauguration of the governing board as marking the “institutional take-off” of a bold pan-African vision.

He said: “I praise the high-calibre composition of the board, comprising statesmen, scholars, diplomats, and development experts, as a reflection of the credibility and global reach of OOLI, founded by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

He underscored the urgent need for ethical, courageous and visionary leadership across the continent, noting that Africa and the world have high expectations for the Institute.

President Mahama expressed his confidence in the future of the institute and affirmed that under Obasanjo’s leadership, and with the support of the Governing Board, OOLI would emerge as a global centre for transformational leadership.

In his remarks, Agwai catalogued the physical and programmatic milestones achieved by OOLI since it was commissioned in 2024.

Also, the Chairman of the newly inaugurated OOLI Governing Board and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, reflected on his decades of experience with Africa’s developmental challenges.

He said: “For more than 70 years, I have observed and engaged with the complex tapestry of Africa’s developmental journey. While our continent is rich in human and natural endowments, we have persistently fallen short in translating this potential into sustainable development, peace, and prosperity, largely because of deficits in leadership at various levels.

The former President also noted that the establishment of the institute was one of his earnest responses to this challenge.