Leadership Is Not an Investment, but a Sacrifice

Leadership Is Not an Investment, but a Sacrifice

Jerry Adesewo

Leadership is not about prestige, privilege, or personal gain—it is a call to sacrifice. True leadership demands selflessness, service, and a willingness to bear the people’s burdens. Yet, in Nigeria and across Africa, leadership has often been reduced to an avenue for personal enrichment, a ladder for selfish ambition, and a tool for exploitation. This is not the model of leadership God ordained.

Throughout history, the greatest leaders have understood that leadership is not a ticket to luxury but a burden of responsibility.  In our previous discourse, we established that leaders are problem solvers and that God calls leaders through processes of refinement, hardship, and endurance. Moses, the chosen deliverer of Israel, did not stumble upon leadership overnight. He was prepared, moulded, and tested through years of obscurity. It was in the wilderness, while tending the flock of his father-in-law, that God called him (Exodus 3:1-4). This was no coincidence. God does not call lazy men; He calls diligent men, men who have learned the discipline of labour and sacrifice.

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Yet, even when Moses was called, he did not see himself as qualified. He had excuses: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). He felt inadequate, unsure of himself, and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the assignment. But God was not looking for ability—He was looking for availability. This is where Nigerian and African leaders often fail. Many assume leadership without preparation, refinement, and a sense of purpose beyond themselves. Leadership, instead of being a call to serve, has become a means to plunder.

When we examine the lives of many African leaders, we see a glaring absence of sacrifice. From the corridors of Aso Rock to the State Houses across the continent, leadership has been turned into an enterprise of personal gain. Those who seek political offices do so with an insatiable hunger for wealth, influence, and power. They live in excessive luxury while the masses languish in poverty. Roads remain impassable, hospitals are death traps, and education is in shambles, yet those entrusted with leadership continue to accumulate wealth at the expense of the people.

How does one explain a situation where a single individual is accused of misappropriating nearly a trillion naira in a country where millions of citizens struggle to survive on less than the minimum wage? Yet, our leaders continue to preach ‘no pain, no gain,’ urging the masses to endure hardship while they and their families enjoy lives of luxury. The reality is even more alarming—since Nigeria’s return to democracy, at least eight out of every ten public office holders have faced corruption allegations, with many having cases lingering in court, unresolved.

Leadership is not about personal comfort; it is about sacrifice. True leaders understand that power is not a tool for self-enrichment but a platform for service. This has been exemplified by world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, who gave up personal luxuries and dedicated his life to India’s independence, and Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison, sacrificing his freedom for the liberation of South Africa. These men did not see leadership as an investment for personal gain but as a duty to uplift their people.

Jesus Christ, the greatest leader of all time, set the ultimate example of sacrificial leadership when He declared, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). True leadership demands giving—giving of time, giving of resources, and giving of oneself. A leader must be willing to bleed so that the people may live.

Leadership in Nigeria: An Investment or a Calling?

If leadership is truly about sacrifice, then Nigeria must rethink its leadership model. We need leaders who will prioritise the well-being of the people, not those who exploit their positions for personal gain. The time has come for leaders who will lead by example, embracing sacrifice over self-indulgence and service over selfishness.

Moses had every opportunity to remain in Pharaoh’s palace, enjoying the luxuries of Egyptian royalty. But he chose instead to identify with the suffering of his people. Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us, “By faith Moses when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”  That was a sacrifice!

Moses’ decision was radical. He rejected personal comfort for the greater good. Can the same be said of many of today’s leaders? Nigerian politicians live in excessive luxury while their citizens struggle with insecurity, unemployment, and poverty. It is not uncommon to see government officials budget billions of naira for luxury SUVs while hospitals remain underfunded, schools remain dysfunctional, and roads remain death traps. This is not leadership; this is exploitation.  This is not the model of leadership we see in Scripture. When God calls a leader, He does not do so for personal gain; He calls them to be a vessel of deliverance, hope, and service.

Today, in Nigeria and across Africa, we see the opposite. Leadership has become an investment, a transactional pursuit where politicians and public officials spend fortunes to secure power, expecting extravagant returns once they assume office. This explains why political campaigns in Nigeria are among the most expensive in the world. Candidates spend billions to buy votes, manipulate elections, and bribe their way into office. Why? For many, leadership is a business—a means to amass wealth, not a call to serve.

Conclusion

Leadership is a divine calling, a sacred duty that demands sacrifice, not self-enrichment. True leaders serve, while selfish ones exploit. Across Nigeria and much of Africa, leadership has been turned into a personal investment rather than a burden for national transformation. Those who climb the ladders of power often see it as an opportunity for wealth accumulation, not as a call to lift their people out of suffering.

Have a blessed week ahead and see you again next week.