In a heartfelt New Year address, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, delivered a pointed critique of Nigeria’s current state under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Obi outlined the deteriorating economic, political, and security conditions in the country while offering 11 key pieces of advice to the president to steer Nigeria toward recovery.
Obi began his address by lamenting the worsening poverty, insecurity, and hunger across Nigeria, emphasizing that over 100 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty, while more than 150 million are trapped in multidimensional poverty. He highlighted Nigeria’s economic decline, noting that the country has fallen from being Africa’s largest economy with a GDP of $574 billion in 2014 to less than $200 billion today, with a per capita income of just $1,000.
The former Anambra State governor also painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s security landscape, ranking the country among the least peaceful in the world. He decried the increasing reliance on palliatives for survival, food insecurity, and the rising cost of living, which has left many Nigerians unable to afford basic necessities despite the recent approval of a ₦70,000 minimum wage.
Obi further criticized the state of power supply, calling Nigeria a “generator country” due to the frequent collapse of the national grid in 2024. Corruption, fiscal mismanagement, and the mounting national debt—now standing at ₦100 trillion—were other key issues he identified, warning that the borrowings have yielded little tangible developmental outcomes.
In his recommendations, Obi urged President Tinubu to take decisive action to reduce the cost of governance, combat corruption through transparency and accountability, and ensure that all borrowings are tied to regenerative investments. He called for the president to dedicate more time to understanding the plight of ordinary Nigerians by visiting the 36 states, including IDP camps, hospitals, and educational institutions, to witness firsthand the challenges they face.
Obi also appealed to the president to travel by road to assess the dire state of Nigeria’s highways, referencing his experience with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who approved road repairs after a personal inspection. He encouraged Tinubu to spend holidays in different parts of the country to foster inclusivity and national unity.
On elections, Obi emphasized the need to restore the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process, urging Tinubu to ensure future elections truly reflect the will of the people. He also advised the president to provide quarterly updates on his administration’s efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges, insisting that Nigerians need to hear directly from their leader.
Obi concluded his message with a call for bold and decisive leadership, reiterating the urgent need to address Nigeria’s worsening situation. “Because we all love Nigeria and desire its prosperity, it is time to confront our national problems with a sense of urgency,” he stated, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous words about the “fierce urgency of now.”
The Labour Party leader’s message comes amidst widespread criticism of the Tinubu administration’s handling of Nigeria’s pressing issues, with many Nigerians hoping for impactful reforms in 2025.