UN Honors Mandela’s Legacy: Aremu Commends Global Recognitio

The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Issa Aremu, has commended the United Nations General Assembly for declaring July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day, describing the gesture as a worthy recognition of selfless leadership.

Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara State on Friday during the institute’s commemoration of the 2025 Mandela Day, Aremu said the annual observance not only honours Mandela’s contributions but also serves as a global reminder of the values he stood for.

Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, spent 27 years in prison fighting apartheid before his election in 1994.

Since 2010, the UN has encouraged citizens to observe his birthday by devoting 67 minutes to community service; one minute for each year he spent in the struggle for justice.

Aremu said Africa must shift from narratives that magnify leadership failures to ones that spotlight impactful contributions, especially among living leaders.

He praised President Bola Tinubu’s recent posthumous recognition of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing Buhari as a symbol of integrity and sacrifice in public service.

“Contrary to the cliche and dogma that the problem of Nigeria is leadership, the problem is indeed non-appreciation of the visible achievements of the leaders while alive,” he said.

He also linked this year’s Mandela Day theme, ‘An End to Poverty and Inequality’, to the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which provides interest-free loans for students in public tertiary institutions.

Quoting Mandela, Aremu noted, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

He urged African governments to draw inspiration from Mandela’s legacy by investing in leadership development and education across the continent.

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