Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for a generational shift in African leadership, saying the continent needs leaders between 25 and 50 years to meet the demands of modern governance.

Jonathan made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the International Memorial Lecture and Leadership Conference marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, Murtala Ramat Muhammed.

Questioning age-old assumptions about leadership, he said: “Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?”

Highlighting the physical and mental demands of office, Jonathan recalled sleepless nights during his presidency. “If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours. When I was in office, some days I did not sleep up to two hours. If you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in hospital,” he said.

He aligned his remarks with Nigeria’s Not Too Young To Run campaign, urging a further reduction in age limits for elective offices. “If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look within the 25 to 50 age bracket,” he added.

Jonathan cited Murtala Muhammed, who became Head of State at 38, and Yakubu Gowon, who assumed office at 32, as proof that impactful leadership is not defined by age. “General Murtala Muhammed assumed office at the very young age of 38. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound,” he said.

He also criticised excessive foreign travel by some public office holders, warning that absentee leadership weakens governance and security. “In a country like the United States, some governors do not leave their states for four years. But here, some of our governors spend 50 per cent of their time outside. So who runs the state?” he queried.

While praising decisive leadership, Jonathan stressed that democracy must be built on strong institutions rather than individuals. “Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals,” he said.

He concluded by urging leaders and young politicians to embrace service over entitlement: “Young people must see leadership as service, not entitlement. Leaders must see governance as stewardship, not a right.”