Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi on Saturday said Nigeria has more natural endowments than the United States and the United Kingdom but continues to fall behind because it has not built the institutions required for development.
Mr Obi spoke at the 2025 Leadership Forum Conference in Abuja with the theme “Rethinking Leadership: Uniting a Divided People.”
He opened the session by declining to read a prepared speech, opting for an interactive engagement.
He said leadership should involve continuous learning and asked participants to shape the discussion with their questions.
Responding to a question on national cohesion, Obi said no country begins with a uniform set of values.
He likened nations to families where people with different perspectives coexist through understanding.
He said Nigeria’s ethnic and religious tensions are outcomes of leadership failure and not inherent national traits.
According to him, identity politics grows when leaders rely on ethnic and religious sentiments instead of merit.
He recalled urging Nigerians not to vote for him based on ethnicity or faith but on competence and character.
Obi linked governance challenges to Nigeria’s human development indicators.
He said the country’s life expectancy of about 54 years reflects long-term underinvestment in health care.
He criticised the treatment of medical professionals and academics, noting that professors in other countries earn higher salaries than state governors while Nigerian professors earn about ₦400,000 as political officeholders oversee large budgets.
He added that Nigeria has overtaken India in infant mortality.
On education, Obi said national development depends on nurturing talent and providing opportunities.
He cited Elon Musk’s departure from South Africa for the United States as an example of how environments shape potential.
He said Nigeria has focused more on physical infrastructure than human development, comparing India’s consistent investment in its institutions with Nigeria’s approach to similar institutions such as Bombay College of Technology and Yaba College of Technology.
Obi said Nigeria is positioned with natural advantages including land, weather and mineral resources, but countries such as the US and UK progressed by building strong institutions.
He warned that decisions on Eurobond borrowings maturing in 2048 and beyond will affect young Nigerians who will be responsible for repayments.
He urged young people not to lose hope. He said graduates should seek opportunities anywhere in the world but remain committed to contributing to Nigeria’s progress.
“Your future is tied to the decisions we make today,” he said.
Peter Obi also said law, order and respect for the rule of law are assets that drive economic growth in developed countries.
He said Nigeria’s transformation depends on leadership that respects institutions and upholds judicial independence.
