By Oluwabukunmi | October 1, 2025
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has lamented decades of failed leadership in Nigeria but maintained that the dream of a great and prosperous nation remains attainable.
Obi, who issued a statement on Wednesday titled “A Great Nigeria is Still Possible” to mark the country’s 65th Independence anniversary, urged citizens to draw strength from the resilience of the past while holding today’s leaders accountable.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the former Anambra State governor recalled the optimism that accompanied freedom from colonial rule, noting that the nation was once projected by Time Magazine as a potential African superpower.
“The founding fathers fought with passion and determination to build a nation of prosperity and pride,” he said.
However, Obi lamented that decades of misrule and poor governance had derailed that vision, citing mounting debt, worsening poverty, and wasteful government spending as symptoms of leadership failure.
“Today, the picture is bleak. Nigeria’s mounting debt of about N175 trillion—nearly 50 per cent of GDP—has not translated into improvements in the productive sector. Nigeria has slipped to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria, while its democracy is increasingly described as undemocratic,” he stated.
Obi criticised what he described as extravagant government expenditure, pointing to billions budgeted for jets, yachts, luxury cars, and official residence renovations, while allocations to healthcare, education, and science remain inadequate.
“Billions are spent on luxuries that outweigh the combined budgets of teaching hospitals and ministries essential for national growth,” he added.
He also warned of the dire consequences of insecurity, corruption, and reckless borrowing, noting that international agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme have projected that 33 million Nigerians could face acute hunger in 2025. He further observed that more than 150 million citizens currently lack access to healthcare, education, water, and sanitation.
Despite these challenges, Obi urged Nigerians not to lose hope, stressing that the vision of a stronger nation could still be revived through justice, fairness, productivity, and dignity.
“Just as we overcame colonialism and dictatorship, so too can we overcome today’s failures. A great Nigeria is still possible,” he concluded.
