Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has set social media abuzz after declaring that he will “never stop having children,” insisting that parenthood transcends biology and continues across generations.
Obasanjo, 88 years of age, made the remark on Monday while hosting the leadership of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), led by its President, Dr Ekanem Ekure, at his residence within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Setting the record straight, the former president explained that although he no longer fathers children and his own children are now adults, the chain of life remains unbroken through grandchildren and future generations, making the protection of children a lifelong duty.
“I am no more giving birth to children and my children are now adults. But my children are still having children and my grandchildren are having children, so I will never stop having children.
“Because when I stopped, my children will not stop and when my children stopped, my grandchildren will not stop and the cycle continues,” Obasanjo said.
He described children as the backbone of any society and warned that the future of nations depends on how well today’s children are nurtured, protected and developed.
Obasanjo also showered praise on paediatricians, describing their work as delicate and demanding, given that children often cannot fully express their pain or discomfort.
“Your profession is a profession of life and death, especially because children cannot always explain what they feel the way adults do,” he said. “You must feel for them, understand them and go the extra mile for them.”
The former president accepted PAN’s request to serve as an advocate for child health and wellbeing, pledging to support initiatives aimed at improving the lives of children in Nigeria and across the world.
Earlier, Ekure hailed Obasanjo as a global statesman whose voice carries weight internationally, noting that PAN deliberately sought his support amid growing concerns over child health challenges.
