Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on African countries to prioritise younger leaders between the ages of 25 and 50 for key governance positions, arguing that the demands of public office require physical stamina and mental resilience.
Jonathan made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during a memorial lecture and leadership conference organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed.
“I think we need to bring it lower. If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look at the age within 25 and 50,” Jonathan said.
“That is the way you can be very vibrant, physically strong, and mentally sound. If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours.”
Calls for further reduction in age limits
Jonathan urged policymakers to go beyond the gains of Nigeria’s “Not Too Young to Run” law, which reduced the minimum age requirement for certain political offices.
He criticised existing age thresholds that require candidates to be at least 40 years old to contest for positions such as governor or senator, and older for the presidency, saying these limits exclude capable younger individuals.
Drawing from personal experience, Jonathan said the physical and mental strain of leadership can be overwhelming for older office holders.
“When I was in office, I was older than that. Some days, I did not sleep up to two hours,” he said.
“So, if you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 percent of the time in the hospital.”
Jonathan pointed to the late Murtala Muhammed, who became Nigeria’s head of state at age 38, as an example of how younger leaders can drive rapid reforms.
He noted that Muhammed implemented significant changes during his brief tenure of about 200 days, attributing the achievements to his energy, decisiveness and sense of duty.
Jonathan also criticised governance practices in some African countries, saying frequent travel by leaders contributes to poor oversight and weak administration.
He said some governors spend significant time away from their states, which affects governance and worsens security and development challenges.
Jonathan urged African nations to rethink leadership selection and create pathways for younger individuals to assume greater responsibility in government.
