By Foster Obi
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has called on Nigerian leaders to rebuild national systems that reward excellence, competence, and integrity, insisting that the country can achieve true development only through disciplined leadership, visionary ideas, and courageous execution.
Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference on “Better Leadership for a Better Nigeria” and the public presentation of Prof Arunma Oteh’s new book, All Hands on Deck: Unleash Prosperity through World Class Capital Markets, held on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in Abuja, Governor Otti stressed that “prosperity requires more than just huge deposits of raw minerals. Long-term progress is initiated and sustained by the discipline of leadership, the power of ideas, and the courage of execution.”
Leadership and the Power of Ideas
Governor Otti argued that the real difference between successful and struggling nations lies not in the abundance of natural resources, but in the quality of human capital and the focus on leadership.
“Development is a human function — a rigorous intellectual exercise and the end product of blistered hands,” he said.
“Natural resources, when not paired with the requisite human intellect to make the most of them, can in themselves become an albatross to a society’s development aspirations.”
He commended Prof. Arunma Oteh, founder of the Oxford Global Think Tank and author of the newly launched book, for her “brilliant and peerless contributions to the holistic development of the human community, especially in Nigeria and across Africa.”
According to Otti, Oteh’s new book presents “a clear path to resource mobilization without the sneers that come from borrowing,” describing it as “an excellent treatise on economic freedom, preservation of national sovereignty and integration of domestic financiers into the development matrix.”
Fixing the Leadership Recruitment System
Governor Otti identified Nigeria’s “dysfunctional leadership recruitment template” as a major cause of its developmental setbacks, lamenting that mediocrity and arrogance have too often displaced character and competence in public life.
“We have become victims of a system that places scant regard on character, treats compassion as evidence of weakness, mistakes arrogance for competence, and promotes the noisy over the truly courageous,” he declared.
He endorsed Prof. Oteh’s 4Cs leadership philosophy — Character, Compassion, Competence, and Courage — as a model that should guide Nigeria’s next generation of leaders.
Education and Human Capital Development
Otti emphasized that no nation can progress without nurturing its people’s minds through quality education and sound values. He announced that his administration has consistently allocated 20% of Abia State’s annual budget to education in the last two years, making education free and compulsory across the state.
“This policy has more than doubled school enrolment within three months,” he revealed.
“We have recruited over 5,000 teachers and are preparing to hire another 4,000, while upgrading infrastructure and improving teacher welfare.”
He added that the focus of tertiary education in Abia has shifted from producing job seekers to “building leaders who will shape the future of their industries.”
Healthcare as a Human Development Pillar
Governor Otti also highlighted Abia’s renewed investments in healthcare, noting that the state has consistently committed 15% of its annual expenditure to healthcare, in line with the 2001 Abuja Declaration.
He said the goal is to ensure that “every citizen, especially those in rural areas, has access to a properly equipped and staffed medical facility within walking distance.”
A Call for National Renewal
The governor urged Nigerians to embrace a new consciousness of excellence, discipline, and collective responsibility for national rebirth.
“We have stayed in the difficult place of mediocrity for too long. At 65, we should be able to stand firmly on our feet and
March forward in an unyielding resolve to actualize the great destiny that our nation has been called to,” he stated.
Otti expressed pride in Prof. Oteh’s global achievements, describing her as “a shining light and a brilliant example of what we can become when leadership is driven by the commitment to make an impact.”
He concluded by challenging Nigerians to “do better, think deeper, and act bolder,” adding that the path to Nigeria’s greatness lies in the courage to rebuild systems that honour merit and human potential.
