Azikiwe’s leadership philosophy serves as an invaluable source of motivation and direction for African leaders of today, particularly Nigerian politicians who often exhibit divisive tendencies in their politics. His philosophies offer an antidote for this divisiveness and encourage peaceful politics within Africa.
Anambra State Governor Willy Obiano recently proposed that November 16 be declared a national holiday to commemorate Azikiwe’s life, yet his proposal hasn’t been taken seriously by the federal government.
1. Empowering Others
Nnamdi Azikiwe, commonly referred to by his nickname Zik, was an influential political figure who dedicated his life to the liberation of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. His intellectual acumen, visionary leadership style and passionate advocacy earned him respect on an international scale. Zik co-founded and served as general secretary of the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC), an alliance between diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria that supported self-rule.
Zik was an advocate of both education and journalism throughout his career, using his editorial platforms as an editor to advocate for nationalism and pan-Africanism. A dedicated fan of boxing in particular, he established his own boxing club while living in America. Additionally, he published several books including his autobiography which details all the events in his life.
Zik’s second book explores the role of politics and leadership on the African continent. He advocates that Africans work collectively towards the goals of unity and prosperity; to do this they should reject narrow or ethnocentric definitions of pan-Africanism in favor of adopting an inclusive view of it all as one continent’s culture.
Zik’s philosophy epitomizes the essence of leadership: catalyzing positive change and empowering others. Effective leaders prioritize others’ wellbeing and success to harness collective strengths more efficiently – this can be accomplished through cultivating empathy, compassion and servitude as leaders who uplift others can inspire individuals to realize their full potential.
Zik’s tireless pursuit of his people should be something every Nigerian, regardless of political allegiance, can take inspiration from. Thus, emerging Nigerian leaders should heed Zik’s lessons on unifying leadership styles and seek ways to incorporate them within their organizations; by doing this, they can ensure a better future for Nigeria and wider Africa.
2. Prioritizing Service Over Comfort
Great leaders put service over comfort first and foremost. This is especially true of servant leaders committed to empowering others so that they may succeed in their roles. Nnamdi Azikiwe was such a servant leader; he put aside political ambitions in favor of building a united Nigeria for its citizens’ benefit.
His commitment to serving others, even when faced with personal danger, was remarkable. Serving as NCD political guru Nnamdi Azikiwe sought to unite Nigeria through his ideology of “Nigerianism.”
He was willing to sacrifice his comfort and wellbeing for the greater good, even giving up his position as Chairman of the NCD in order to devote himself solely to developing the country.
At an earlier point in history, Nnamdi Azikiwe and other founders of NCD understood that politics should serve people instead of win themselves; as a result, they were able to overcome ethnic, regional, and religious divisions and unite their nation as one people.
Today’s Nigerian leaders should emulate Azikiwe and Awolowo’s model of unifying leadership as an example for themselves. Instead of prioritizing personal interests over building something everyone can take pride in like Bello did for Nigeria – that way we can build something everyone will be proud to call home instead of something only certain people enjoy being part of.
Nnamdi Azikiwe’s death and burial serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of serving others before oneself, setting an exemplary model for Africans striving to achieve their dream of an integrated Africa.
Nnamdi Azikiwe was an uncompromising nationalist whose advocacy of unification should be treated with equal reverence as other nationalists such as Mahatma Ghandi, Julius Nyerere, Abdel Nasser and Kemal Ataturk were in their respective nations. Yet his advocacy is often met with mere lip service; as evidenced by Governor Willy Obiano’s call to declare November 16, Nnamdi Azikiwe’s birthday date as a national holiday being met with in Nigerian society.
3. Inspiring Others
Azikiwe was an inspirational leader who inspired those around him to work towards a common goal. This can be seen through his famous quote: “A strong nation rests not solely upon its military power, but also on values and principles which form its basis.” In doing so he stresses the significance of values as being essential pillars for nation-building.
Azikiwe was exposed to civil rights movements and Pan-Africanism ideas during his time in America, which profoundly shaped his view on colonialism. These events inspired him to fight for freedom both within Nigeria and all throughout Africa; acting tirelessly for national unity he founded several newspapers including West African Pilot to further this cause as well as mobilize citizens against colonialism.
Azikiwe was a well-recognized political figure both pre and post independence Nigeria. He co-founded the NCNC party, advocating on behalf of all Nigerians regardless of ethnicity and region – this proved integral in uniting various ethnic groups for independence efforts. Azikiwe’s political career was an unqualified success; many regard him as one of the fathers of Nigeria.
His belief that success was independent of one’s background or external circumstances was particularly powerful in encouraging individuals to focus on making choices and overcoming challenges rather than dwelling on past failures or predetermined future outcomes. This philosophy gave people hope of an uncertain future that was not predetermined by past tribulations.
Nnamdi Azikiwe remains a figure admired and revered by many people around the world, not least of them his unrivaled contributions to Nigeria and Africa as a whole. His leadership style serves as an exemplar for business leaders looking to unify teams and achieve success; this was evidenced by Anambra State Governor Willy Obiano who called for November 16 to be marked as a public holiday to remember Azikiwe and honor his legacy of national unity.
4. Developing Others
Leadership requires developing other people into leaders themselves. This means not only allowing other members of the team to contribute their ideas and take risks in order to grow as individuals – this type of transformational leadership is vital in any organization, from small businesses to multinational conglomerates.
Nnamdi Azikiwe was an outstanding example of a leader who not only unified and inspired others, but was also dedicated to shaping new leaders. As one of Nigeria’s pre-and post-independence most influential political figures as well as one of Africa’s, he championed pan-Africanism by founding newspapers in Gold Coast (now Ghana) and later Nigeria with this aim in mind. Additionally, his writings inspired other Africans to become nationalists against colonialism.
He was an esteemed political figure, serving as both Governor-General and President of Nigeria after independence. His political influence extended beyond Nigeria; he inspired other pan-Africanists to find success in their respective nations. Additionally, his contribution during African independence struggles was significant while his leadership style provided an example for other leaders to follow.
Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra State in Nigeria recently posted a video recalling Zik’s indisputable nationalist credentials and calling for his birthday, November 16, to be declared a public holiday across Nigeria. While his request was commendable, it is telling that no response has yet been given by the federal government; such neglect shows how lightly soft elements like symbolism essential for nation-building are treated in Nigeria today.
Nnamdi Azikiwe was an integral figure to Nigerian nationalism, providing powerful moral force and sense of direction to emerging African leaders, who should delve deeper into his leadership philosophy to ensure sustainable sociopolitical and economic growth before the turn of this century.
