Leadership feels unfamiliar to young people—here's what needs to change
Many young Nigerians say leadership feels unfamiliar today—not because they don't care, but because what they see feels distant and procedural. Leadership once felt real through decisions that changed everyday life: controversial but clear choices like General Murtala Muhammed's government cutting ties with multinational oil companies over apartheid or Tanzania's Julius Nyerere land reforms under ujamaa. Those moves shifted power visibly, consequences were shared, and leadership was legible.
Today's challenge is that authority is assessed, not assumed. Young people encounter leadership through screens and statements rather than proximity. What earns their trust isn't perfection, but presence—leaders who show up in communities, listen before speaking, and honour commitments when no one's watching. General Muhammed's spare style and acceptance of consequence offered that tangible reality.
Four shifts could reshape leadership for the present: First, become time-aware—respond to problems with the urgency young people experience in real time. Second, be felt locally—show up in schools, workplaces, and online spaces beyond ceremonial moments. Third, make leadership learnable—frame it as accessible responsibility, not reserved pedestal. Fourth, embrace consistent accountability—admit mistakes, adjust course, remain present.
Most critically, leadership must trust young people as contributors, not just beneficiaries. They're already leading in tech, climate action, and community organizing. The task is meaningful inclusion, not symbolic gestures. What kind of leadership presence would make you feel leadership is actually working for you?