Obasanjo: Challenges I faced in prison ‘overwhelming’

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has tasked governments at all levels to urgently address the rising out-of-school children crisis in Nigeria.
Obasanjo stated this on Thursday while featuring as Distinguished Storyteller at the 2026 edition of “Storytelling With the Legends”.
The programme, organised by the Department of School Library and Media Technology, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, was aimed at connecting children with legends’ real-life experiences and history.
The programme had as its theme: “Preserving Heritage. Inspiring Generations. Learning from the Legends”.
He warned that out-of-school children could easily be lured into banditry, Boko Haram or kidnapping gangs, a development he said would further jeopardise national security.
The former President, who was special guest of honour and storyteller of the day, advised students to be persons of good conscience and to embrace generosity in their dealings.
He charged the students to uphold strong moral values, noting that while God had created them well, they needed to add value to themselves through sound education.
Obasanjo urged them to prioritise good character in relating with fellow citizens, stressing that good character attracts good tidings and closeness to God.
According to him, the main purpose of existence and true meaning of success is to make the world a better place than one met it, for the benefit of others.
Speaking on his leadership journey, politics, prison experience and life challenges, Obasanjo said he was thrust into politics through God-sent people and had to navigate his way to the top.
On the civil war, the former President noted that there was nothing good about war, adding that no conflict was so complex that it could not  be resolved through other means rather than war.
He disclosed that he chose to leave everything to God when challenges in prison became overwhelming, noting that it was not his power, connection or courage that brought him out, but the favour of God.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, described the programme as a bridge between elders who have walked the path and children just beginning their journey.
Adebowale said the university was profoundly honoured to host Obasanjo, whose life is a living archive of the Nigerian journey from the civil war to democratic governance.
The Dean, Faculty of Education, Prof. Kehinde Kester, said storytelling remained the oldest classroom in the world and a vital tool for preserving heritage and teaching values to the younger generation.
Also, the Head of Department, School Library and Media Technology, Dr Alice Bamigbola, appealed to Federal and state governments to enforce the policy on establishing functional school libraries in every primary and secondary school.
Bamigbola called for dedicated funding for library facilities, recruitment of qualified librarians, and inclusion of Media and Information Literacy in school curricula to combat misinformation and promote reading culture.
The event gave students opportunity to ask direct questions from the former president. Among schools present at the occasion included Orogun grammar school, Abadina primary school and International School Ibadan.