Former President Goodluck Jonathan has proposed that African countries should focus on individuals between the ages of 25 and 50 for high-level leadership positions.
He argued that this demographic possesses the physical resilience, mental acuity, and stamina required to handle the grueling pressures of governing.
Jonathan made these remarks on Thursday in Abuja during a leadership conference and memorial lecture hosted by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation. The event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the passing of the former head of state. During his speech, the former president suggested that the age requirements for political office should be lowered even further than the current “Not Too Young to Run” standards.
“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,” the former president 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.”
He compared current political trends to history, noting that Murtala Muhammed was only 38 when he took power, yet he managed to implement significant reforms in just 200 days through a sense of national duty and strong vision. Jonathan questioned modern rules that require candidates for governor, deputy governor, or senator to be at least 40, with even higher thresholds for the presidency.
“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.”
The former president linked his suggestion to a broader critique of contemporary governance, expressing frustration that some governors spend half of their tenure abroad or in Abuja. He noted that this lack of hands-on leadership leaves states vulnerable and contributes to ongoing challenges in security and national development.