Former President Goodluck Jonathan stirred a flurry of speculation on Wednesday after sharing a veiled political message on Instagram, seemingly addressing Nigeria’s current leadership while subtly hinting at a return to active politics.
Posting a solemn photo of himself looking downward during a past encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump, Jonathan wrote: “Since our current leaders are pretending to sleep, we pray that we will get our good leadership back in 2027; your choice will determine the betterment of our future.”
The post, which has garnered over 4,200 likes, triggered a wave of mixed reactions from Nigerians, many of whom interpreted it as a sign of potential political ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A supporter commented: “Your Excellency sir, we are 100 ;per cent with you.”
Another added: “Good, better, best president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria till date… May your days be longer than that of Methuselah, sir.”
Meanwhile, the former president has called on African governments to implement policies that ensure farmers’ access to affordable credit, aiming to enhance food production and security across the continent.
Jonathan emphasised the imperative of derisking lending in agriculture, noting that the challenge of providing the collateral often demanded of farmers by lending institutions is negatively impacting the growth of the sector.
Jonathan, who stated this at the opening plenary of the second edition of the African Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT), on Tuesday in Kigali, Rwanda, also charged ministers of agriculture to be focused and purpose-driven in the bid to improve food systems on the continent.
He said: “African governments must be deliberate with their policies towards promoting agriculture and incentivising farmers. If the government does not support farmers, it will be difficult in this part of the world to produce enough food for our population.”
He also urged African Central Banks to take the lead in the bid to promote lending to farmers, stressing that the issue of derisking lending to farmers is critical. “That is why I believe that the central banks of African countries must come up with models that would encourage commercial banks to lend to farmers.”
