On Friday, April 25, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, raised alarm over Nigeria’s worsening poverty crisis.
Speaking at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, Obi said Nigeria now has more poor people than China, Indonesia, and Vietnam combined.
He blamed poor leadership for the growing number of people living in poverty, saying the problem lies at the heart of the country’s challenges.
The lecture, titled “Politics and Change in Nigeria,” was delivered at the invitation of Professor Peter Lewis, the author of “Growing Apart: Comparing Indonesia and Nigeria.”
Sharing key moments from the lecture on his verified X handle on Friday, April 25, Obi said, “In discussing this very critical issue, which directly impacts the direction of a nation, I pointed out that the failure of a nation depends largely on its political leadership.
“Competent, capable and compassionate political leadership, with integrity, will help nations to achieve sustainable growth and development,” he added.
Looking back over the last 35 years, Obi compared Nigeria’s path with countries like China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. He noted that while those nations have climbed up the ladder of human development, Nigeria has sadly gone in the opposite direction.
His comments come at a time when the World Bank has also warned that more Nigerians are expected to fall into poverty by 2027—despite the country being rich in natural resources.
