Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has again raised concern over Nigeria’s worsening poverty crisis, saying that while other nations are lifting people out of poverty, Nigeria is doing the opposite.
Obi made the statement in Lagos while delivering the keynote address at the Lagos Business School (LBS) All MBA Students Conference, where he spoke on the theme: “Execution as a Competitive Edge.”
He used the opportunity to criticise the poor leadership and policy execution in Nigeria, which he said is the main reason the country continues to record rising poverty rates, despite having access to the same international development frameworks as other nations.
“While countries like China, India, and Vietnam are lifting millions out of poverty through disciplined and consistent execution of sound policies, in Nigeria, more people are falling into poverty every day,” Obi said in a post shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle after the event.
Obi, who is known for his strong views on governance and development, noted that having plans and strategies is not enough unless they are properly executed by competent leaders.
“Execution that delivers results is driven by competent and responsible leadership with capacity, compassion, and character to drive disciplined and committed implementation of sound policies,” he said.
He cited the successes of China, India, and Vietnam, noting that during the era of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 2000 to 2015, and now under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 2015 to 2030, these countries made real progress through focused leadership.
China lifted over 430 million people out of poverty.
India lifted 270 million people.
Vietnam lifted 45 million people.
These achievements, Obi said, improved the Human Development Index (HDI) of those countries significantly.
In contrast, he expressed deep regret that Nigeria, along with many other Sub-Saharan African nations, has failed to make similar progress, despite being signatories to the same global development goals.
“Today, over 130 million Nigerians are classified as multidimensionally poor. That means they lack access not just to income, but also to basic needs like healthcare, education, clean water, and electricity,” Obi said.
According to him, this is not just a failure of policy but a failure of leadership and discipline in execution.
Obi stressed that the country’s poor are not just statistics, but real people whose lives continue to get worse due to bad governance, corruption, and lack of focused leadership.
He called for a new kind of leadership that focuses less on talking and more on doing—leaders who are ready to execute development plans with discipline and integrity.
This is not the first time Peter Obi has raised alarms over Nigeria’s economic and social decline. Since the 2023 general election, he has consistently spoken on issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, from unemployment and insecurity to inflation and the cost of living.
Obi’s remarks serve as a strong reminder that beyond speeches and policies, what matters most is action and the quality of leadership behind that action.
As he put it: “Execution is everything. Without it, even the best policies remain useless documents.”
