A Former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has blamed mismanagement of resources and poor governance for the underdevelopment of many African countries.

Okebukola asserted in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ota, Ogun.

The former NUC executive secretary said that though Africa was rich in natural resources, yet poor governance and mismanagement have led to the squandering of wealth that otherwise could have been used for development.

“When leaders fail to properly manage their countries’ resources, they allow foreign corporations or governments to exploit them, perpetuating a narrative that African countries need external forces to thrive, “he said.

Okebukola further said that endemic corruption among some African leaders had led to citizens’ distrust of governments, economic instability, and slow progress.

According to him, this development reinforced the idea that African leadership were incapable of delivering effective development, fostering a sense of hopelessness and inferiority among citizens.

Okebukola said that corruption and poor governance were indices of economic underdevelopment, social inequality, and political instability.

He cited Nigeria as an example of a country, which in spite of being one of the largest oil producers, has long struggled with corruption, particularly in its oil sector.

This, he said, had accounted for a significant loss of government revenue that could have been used for development of the country.