Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stated that during his tenure as Head of State, the late US President Jimmy Carter could not undertake any action in Africa without informing the Nigerian government.
Obasanjo made the remarks on Monday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the Presidential Youth Mentorship Retreat (6.0), organised by the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
The former Nigerian leader’s comments came amid the ongoing controversy over US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action against Nigeria following alleged attacks on Christians.
Trump had between October 31 and November 1, condemned alleged continued killings targeting Christians in Nigeria, warning that America was ready to deploy its military if the federal government failed to stop the attacks by radical Islamist groups.
The declaration has elicited mixed reactions from the Nigerian government, prominent leaders, and religious organisations.
The federal government, in particular, rejected Trump’s claims, claiming that insecurity affects all religious groups.
Although Obasanjo did not directly comment on the Trump controversy, he reminisced about the high regard in which the US held Nigeria during Carter’s presidency.
Obasanjo and Carter, who passed away in December 2024, were regarded as close friends. In January 2025, Obasanjo held a memorial service in Abeokuta to honour Carter, who died at age 100.
Recalling Nigeria’s standing in global affairs, Obasanjo said that from independence, the world and the US in particular saw Nigeria as a leader in Africa.
He noted that the country lost this confidence for a time before the Murtala-Obasanjo military regime restored it.
“They were not taking permission from us, but they would tell us, ‘We are doing this.’ When I was president and Head of State, three
American presidents came to Nigeria. They did not lose anything they were looking for in Nigeria.
“What did they see? At independence, the world saw Nigeria as a giant coming up. Soon after independence, we lost that. When Murtala and I came into government, we brought it back,” Obasanjo said.
