Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has advised African leaders to prioritise inclusion and economic empowerment as a means of ensuring political stability and sustainable development.

The former President also urged African nations to invest in education, digital infrastructure, and skills development to be able to transform the continent’s youthful population into a force for innovation, leadership and global competitiveness.

Dr. Jonathan made this call in a keynote speech he presented on Friday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the launch of a report on ‘Advancing Inclusive Development: Policy Options for Burkina, Faso, Guinea, Gabon, Mali and Niger’ produced by the African Union Commission, UNDP’s Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

Stressing that the future of Africa can no longer be left to chance, Jonathan declared that governance must be rooted in legitimacy and inclusion. To address instability, he charged African leaders to take decisive steps to build a continent that is strong, self-reliant and prosperous by governing wisely and investing in economies that create jobs, industries and sustainable wealth.

He said: “Political stability cannot be sustained without trusted institutions, rule of law and leadership that earns its mandate from the people. We must invest in building responsive governance structures, fostering constitutional integrity, and ensuring that democratic processes deliver tangible dividends for all citizens.”

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The former President also made a case for profound economic transformation, stating that fragile states do not emerge solely from political upheaval “but are by products of economic exclusion, underdevelopment, and the absence of viable livelihoods… Africa’s economic future lies in industrialization, technology-driven growth and regional trade integration.”

Speaking further on the need to empower the youth, Jonathan said: “We must shift from treating demographics as a challenge to embracing it as a strategic advantage. Our youth must not be seen as a demographic burden, but as a generational force for innovation, leadership, and global competitiveness. Investing in education, digital infrastructure, and skills development is no longer optional — it is imperative!”

The former President also asserted that security must be re-imagined enhancing development and stability. “We must go beyond traditional military responses and adopt a whole-of-society approach; one that addresses the root causes of conflict which are poverty, marginalization, and weak governance.”

Speaking on the role Nigeria should play in Africa’s renaissance, Dr. Jonathan said: “Nigeria as the largest democracy and one of the largest economies on the continent, carries both a responsibility and a privilege; the responsibility to lead by example, and the privilege to serve as a catalyst for Africa’s collective aspirations.”

The former President also described Africa as the world’s “youngest continent, its fastest-growing economic frontier, and a region reasonably endowed with resources”, adding that the continent must device a means of dealing with its “deep-seated weaknesses which include governance deficits, political instability, economic fragility and the enduring effects of external shocks.”