The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria’s persistent development challenges are not caused by a lack of resources but by the failure of successive governments to effectively convert the country’s wealth into improved living standards.
Obi made the assertion in his Independence Day address marking Nigeria’s 66th anniversary, during which he called for a sober assessment of the country’s progress and the challenges confronting its citizens.
The former Anambra State governor said the anniversary should be more than an occasion for celebration, urging Nigerians to use it to reflect on the country’s journey since independence and its future direction.
He said: “In national planning and strategy, every serious nation must continually ask three fundamental questions: Where are we today? Where do we want to be? How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?”
Obi said the questions had become particularly important amid what he described as persistent challenges across key sectors of the economy and society.
He listed poverty, insecurity, inadequate access to education, food insecurity, unemployment, drug abuse and poor health outcomes among the major problems confronting Nigerians.
According to him, more than 140 million Nigerians are living in poverty and severe hardship, while more than 18 million children are out of school.
He also raised concerns over terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, citing the recent killing of 37 young Nigerians as an indication of the human cost of insecurity.
On food security, Obi said more than 40 million Nigerians could face extreme hunger by the end of 2026.
He further cited youth unemployment and underemployment affecting more than 35 million people and expressed concern over rising drug and substance abuse, which he put at 14 per cent compared with a global average of six per cent.
The NDC candidate also said Nigeria’s life expectancy of 54 years remained significantly below the global average of 74 years.
He described the situation as requiring “serious, sober and honest reflection”, asking Nigerians to examine the choices that had shaped the country’s development.
“Are we cursed, or have we become the curse through the choices we have made and the failures we have tolerated?” he asked.
Obi, however, rejected the suggestion that Nigeria was cursed, arguing that the country possessed significant human and natural resources.
“The answer cannot be that Nigeria is cursed. We are a nation immensely endowed and blessed,” he said.
“Our greatest problem is not a lack of resources; it is the failure to convert our enormous resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity.”
Obi also reflected on his recent visit to Sokoto State with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying they consulted residents on insecurity, poverty, out-of-school children, youth unemployment and drug abuse.
He said their visit included the Internally Displaced Persons camp at Ramin Kura in Sokoto metropolis, where he encountered thousands of displaced women and children living in difficult conditions.
“What we saw was deeply troubling. Thousands of women and children live in deplorable conditions, displaced from their homes and deprived of the basic necessities of life,” he said.
Obi said many children in the camp lacked access to education, while mothers and children had limited access to basic healthcare.
He added: “These are Nigerians who should be living in their communities, going to school, farming their land, conducting their businesses and contributing to the economy. Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country.”
The former Anambra governor said the experience reinforced the need for national reflection and a development strategy focused on improving security, human capital and the economic wellbeing of Nigerians.
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