Dare Babalola
A prominent Nigerian commentator, Segun Showunmi, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, highlighting his strategic visit to the Republic of Türkiye as a testament to his commitment to adaptive statecraft.
In a detailed commentary posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Showunmi emphasised the importance of responsible statecraft in a rapidly changing global landscape, marked by geopolitical competition, economic shifts, and security recalibration.
“When a Leader Slips, Responsibility Lifts Him. We are rightly enjoined to pray for our leaders, not as a ceremonial obligation, but in sober recognition of the extraordinary institutional burdens they bear,” Showunmi wrote.
He noted that traditional powers, particularly in Europe, are experiencing significant transformations, underscoring the need for Nigeria to diversify its diplomatic engagements and strengthen multilateral relationships beyond inherited alignments.
Showunmi stressed that Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation and a pivotal regional actor, cannot afford diplomatic inertia and must engage in pragmatic, forward-looking foreign policy.
“Engagements such as the Türkiye visit signal an understanding that national interest in this era must be pursued through adaptive, forward-looking foreign policy architecture,” he emphasized.
He commended Tinubu’s engagement with Türkiye as a reflection of this understanding, demonstrating attentiveness to contemporary governance demands.
The commentator further emphasized that leadership is measured not by momentary missteps but by clarity of purpose, steadiness under scrutiny, and courage in the face of responsibility.
“History does not measure leadership by momentary missteps; it measures it by clarity of purpose, steadiness under scrutiny, and the courage to proceed when responsibility demands action,” Showunmi noted.
He praised Tinubu’s composure and confidence during the joint press conference, attributing it to experience and a conscious understanding of Nigeria’s international role.
Showunmi acknowledged the immense burden of leading a complex polity in a volatile environment, emphasising that true leadership is rooted in judgment, intellect, and commitment to national interest.
He concluded with a Yoruba proverb, affirming that a leader who acknowledges and learns from mistakes, like Tinubu, demonstrates purposeful governance, “Ota mi ma yo mi ti mo ba subu, ti emi ba subu e mi a dide. Akanni Omo Olodo Ide, Aja o ni ji mo Ologbo le se.”
