Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that Africans do not appreciate past leaders who have contributed to the development of their country.

Obasanjo spoke at an event organised by the Angolan community in Lagos State to mark Angola’s 2024 National Founder and Hero’s Day.

The annual celebration takes place every September 17 to honour the birth of Angola’s first President, Dr. Agostinho Neto, a writer and politician born on September 17, 1922, who played a key role in securing Angola’s independence from Portugal.

Obasanjo, who spoke on the topic: “Pan-Africanism in the Political Course of Agostinho Neto,” emphasized that having achieved political independence, Africa must now focus on attaining economic freedom. He also bemoaned the tendency of Africans to forget their past leaders.

Speaking further, he noted that although pan-Africanism started as an ideology, it unfortunately became a political movement while neglecting the continent’s economic issues.

He said, “One of the things that we tend to do in Africa is to forget the past and our leaders who have made numerous contributions we are enjoying. We should thank you most sincerely.

“Pan-Africanism is a movement and ideology. Unfortunately, it emphasises solidarity in our coming together, and later on, it becomes political. It pays more attention to political movements than economic reasons. This is where I see a cavity in the form of Pan-Africanism ideology.”