Africa's leadership crisis is destroying Africa’s future and people

How Africa’s leadership crisis is destroying Africa’s future and people is not only unfortunate but a sad path that will destroy Africa’s left over and everything its past great leaders ever stood for and fought for.

There are numerous problems in Africa. However, the one problem that stands out is the crisis of leadership. We have seen dictators who have been in power for decades, while others still struggle with transitioning their old regimes.

Holding on to power for too long in itself is a poisonous leadership characteristic. Chad's President Idriss Deby Itno died on Tuesday from wounds suffered on the battlefield after the 68-year-old was re-elected to a sixth term.

The question is, what good solution did he have that he never implemented in his first five years yet he held the entire nation in bondage with the poor leadership culture and act.

Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema is Africa's longest-serving leader, still in power after 41 years. He deposed his uncle in a 1979 coup, and became "the country's god" with "all power over men and things", state radio said (Africa News, 2021)

The story of Libya's Moamer Kadhafi, who ruled with an iron fist for nearly 42 years, Omar Bongo Ondimba governed oil-rich Gabon for more than 41 years, Angola's Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepped down in September 2017 having led his oil-rich country for 38 years and Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019, was in power for 37 years how better did these nations become after all these years?

In some cases, leaders have been overthrown and replaced by military juntas or strongmen. This shows that there is a lot of work to be done when it comes to Africa’s leadership crisis.

Today, Africa is seeing a new wave of leaders who are themselves not good enough, not fit for purpose. Africa's elected leaders are as bad as those who hold on to power and those who come to power through the barrel of a gun. In fact, they are mere occupants of leadership positions with their misfit personalities, mindset, and inabilities.

The article below explores how every single one of these situations has a negative impact on Africa as a whole and its people. Let’s take a look at how this leadership crisis is destroying Africa’s future and its people.

Dictators and Decades of Bad Leadership

First and foremost, we need to discuss dictators. Many African nations were formed through some sort of revolution. In these cases, the revolutionaries were able to topple the old regime but failed to establish a new government.

Instead, they became the new dictators. Some countries have been ruled by dictators for decades. This is not a sign of strength, but rather a weakness.

Strong leaders are able to make tough decisions that are not always popular but are necessary for the good of the people.

Ghana for instance can be best described as a nation suffering a leadership crisis under a democratic regime.

These leaders are willing to step down when it is time for elections. Dictators, on the other hand, find ways to remain in power by any means necessary.

They rule with an iron fist and do anything to hold onto power. In some cases, these dictators are backed by other countries for their own gain.

These are easily recognizable countries like China. Other times, these dictators use their own people as an excuse to remain in power.

Strongmen and Military Juntas: The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

A common trait among a lot of African dictatorships is that they are backed by military juntas or strongmen. In some cases, this is due to popular support.

Other times, it is only backed by the military and dictator. This is what we call a military coup.

Rather than taking the people’s wishes into consideration, the junta’s intent is only to keep the dictator in power.

There are some cases where the intent is to better the country. However, in many other cases, it is simply to take advantage of the people and steal from them.

There are several reasons why military juntas and strongmen rise to power. One of the most common reasons is that people are fed up with corruption.

In this case, the military backs a strong leader who they believe can help clean up the country and bring order.

Corruption, Stealing from the People, and a Broken Rule of Law

When a country has a weak government, it is often because the people are suffering from corruption. Ghana and Nigeria are typical demonic examples of countries in Africa where political leadership is super weak, ready to shelve corrupt appointees no matter the crime and these provide fertile grounds for open-day stealing to go on with the highest impunity.

While the government is supposed to protect the people, the public purse, and their property, many governments use their power to steal from the people.

In some cases, this is done through bribes and extortion. In other cases, it is simply shoving regulation down the throats of the people.

Regardless of the case, it is clear that the government is not looking out for the people. Instead, it is stealing from them.

In other cases, the government does not have the means to protect its people. This can be seen especially in the cases of dictatorship.

In these cases, there is also a lack of a rule of law. If people break a law, there is no due process.

Often, they are simply killed or sent to jail without a trial. This is the perfect recipe for a failed government.

The people are suffering and the government has no way of fixing the problem.

A Lost Generation: The Youth Problem

Throughout all of the above, there is one common theme that is absolutely devastating for Africa. This is the fact that government leaders are harming their own people.

The leaders fail to provide their people with the necessities they need to succeed. Education, health care, and work are just a few examples of this. The youth complete school and there are no job opportunities, the ones that exist are often given to party members many of whom do not qualify.

Go into the Ghana Police and other security services, and you will find many who do not in any way meet the common requirements when it comes to height, yet they have been recruited.

The youth of Africa have lost out on critical education and training. This has left them unable to support themselves or their families.

A prime example of this is South Africa. In this country, there is an issue with the Youth Employment Service.

This program is designed to give young people jobs in government departments. However, the government is failing to follow through with its promise.

Along with this, the government has failed to educate its people. In fact, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to make university free.

This is a great first step in giving people the training they need to succeed.

The leadership crisis in Africa is a massive problem. It has led to decades of bad leadership. This has caused massive damage to the countries involved and their people. A lost generation of youth has suffered because of this leadership crisis.

They have been robbed of the education and training needed to succeed. As a result, many are struggling to feed their families.

There are numerous problems in Africa. However, the one problem that stands out is the crisis of leadership. We have seen dictators who have been in power for decades, while others still struggle with transitioning their old regimes.

In some cases, leaders have been overthrown and replaced by military juntas or strongmen. This shows that there is a lot of work to be done when it comes to Africa’s leadership crisis.

About 90% of African Politicians in my estimation are mere leadership position holders many of whom buy their way through with vote buying among others hence we always get the wrong people into power, and they harm us all.

What Africa lucks today is leadership not human resources, not natural resources because, without the right leadership in each country, we shall continue to mess up the bright future of today's youth, the current children of Africa, and that of the unborn.

African political leaders of the continent must bow their heads in shame for failing to provide the needed transformation and ethical and authentic leadership that drives development, strategic thinking, and the needed solutions and solves the problems of the people.

Africa has a dangerous leadership crisis and the future is bleak unless we do something about the current generations and change our attitude toward leadership training and education.