Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians at home and abroad to become active advocates for national transformation, insisting that rebuilding the country requires a collective commitment to integrity, productivity, and long-term development.
Obi made the call on Friday in Madrid, Spain, where he attended the Reimagining Nigeria Symposium 2025 shortly after arriving in the country for a series of partnership-focused engagements.
The symposium, themed: “A Journey to Development,” brought together stakeholders in governance, economics, and the diaspora community.
In a statement posted on his verified X handle on Sunday, Obi said he was in Madrid to strengthen collaborations and explore opportunities that could benefit future generations.
Addressing participants at the symposium, he spotlighted agriculture as one of Nigeria’s most underutilised assets.
“With vast arable land and a vibrant young population, Nigeria has all it takes to become a global leader in food production and has no business being one of the hungriest countries and the poorest nation in the world,” Obi said.
He lamented a prevailing national orientation that, in his view, rewards questionable wealth and promotes criminality, warning that no country can progress on “foundations that undermine integrity.”
“We must move away from any system that glorifies shortcuts or celebrates wealth without enterprise,” he said. “A nation cannot grow on such foundations. Transparency, hard work, and honest enterprise must be the bedrock of our economic progress.”
Obi also expressed optimism over renewed civic engagement among Nigerians, noting that advocacy for accountability and good governance must no longer be left to political leaders alone.
“The task of rebuilding our nation cannot be left to leaders alone. True change begins when citizens use their voices, platforms, and actions to demand and defend what is right,” he added.
According to him, Nigeria’s path to development transcends policies and is fundamentally rooted in values, discipline, and collective resolve.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s significant human and natural resources, he said the country continues to contend with poor human development indicators.
Obi’s proposed five key pillars for transitioning Nigeria from managing poverty to building shared prosperity are a shift from consumption to production, prioritising human capital development, and strengthening governance and public institutions.
Others are building a 21st-century economy driven by innovation and technology and fostering national unity and a shared purpose.
He maintained that other nations had overcome even more severe challenges by adopting disciplined strategies and visionary leadership, adding that Nigeria could do the same by investing in its people, strengthening institutions, and building an inclusive nation.
He added that Nigeria must move away from patronage-driven systems and embrace policies that promote productivity and accountability if it hopes to reverse its development trajectory.
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