Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria has all the human and natural resources required to prosper, stressing that what the country needs is competent, honest and purposeful leadership.
Obi stated this while speaking as a guest and panellist alongside some presidential candidates and their representatives at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to him, the discussion focused on rebuilding Nigeria and making the country work for its resilient, hardworking and long-suffering citizens.
Obi reiterated his position that the poverty and hunger confronting Nigerians are largely the consequences of years of mismanagement and corruption by leaders entrusted with the nation’s commonwealth.
“With our vast human and natural resources, Nigeria has no business being associated with extreme poverty and hunger,” he said, adding that the country also had no justification for importing food despite its enormous agricultural potential.
He said agriculture, if supported with the right investments, policies and political will, could become one of Nigeria’s greatest sources of wealth and employment.
Obi particularly highlighted the agricultural potential of Northern Nigeria, saying its vast expanse of farmland could drive significant economic transformation.
“If countries with fewer resources have transformed their agricultural sectors, Nigeria can feed itself, create millions of jobs, and export food to the world,” he said.
On the removal of the fuel subsidy, Obi maintained the position he took in 2023, arguing that the subsidy regime was riddled with corruption.
He explained that his preferred approach would have been to first eliminate the corruption in the system, establish the actual cost of the subsidy and subsequently implement a carefully planned and phased removal.
Obi stressed that the savings from subsidy removal should be transparently invested in clearly defined and measurable development priorities, particularly agriculture, healthcare, education, poverty reduction and security.
He said subsidy removal must ultimately translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians, arguing that citizens should not be made to bear higher energy costs while the savings remain unaccounted for or fail to improve their standard of living.
According to him, Nigeria’s investment priorities should centre on food security, healthcare, education, infrastructure, human capital development, national security and national unity.
“Nigeria has all it needs to prosper. What remains is competent, honest, and purposeful leadership that puts the common good above personal interests,” Obi said.
