Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Leader and Premier of the Western Region, led the region for about seven years—from 1952 to 1959. He served as Leader of Government Business from 1952 to 1954 and subsequently became the Western Region’s first Premier from 1954 to 1959.
The signs of his leadership are still visible across the old Western Region. Many adults and elderly citizens remain living testimonies to the policies, programmes and infrastructure introduced during his relatively short tenure. His monumental achievements transcended Western Nigeria; some were remarkable by African standards and even compared favourably with developments in Europe at the time. More than six decades later, several of those landmarks remain standing—and, in some cases, remarkably functional.
Consider the roads he helped establish. Some have continued to serve generations of Nigerians, while contemporary roads constructed at enormous cost can deteriorate or become impassable within a few years. The question, therefore, is not merely how long a leader stays in office, but what quality of legacy is produced within the time available.
Leadership should be measured by the depth, durability and impact of achievements—not by the length of tenure.
A political office should not become a permanent residence. Prolonged occupancy can create a dangerous sense of entitlement, weaken accountability and encourage the belief that power belongs to the individual rather than the people. It can also breed despotism and elongated inefficiency, especially when fresh ideas and new leadership are continuously shut out.
The Awolowo experience offers a compelling lesson: a leader does not need decades in office to make a generational difference.
One purposeful term, properly utilised, can be enough to establish institutions, execute enduring projects and leave a legacy that outlives the office holder.
Perhaps, therefore, our political culture needs to return to a simple principle: govern well, build well, leave well—and let history judge the legacy.
-Chief Abiodun Lasile DL MnbR
Orunto Baalufe Owu Kingdom Abeokuta
