Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on Nigerians to reflect on the core values of the United Nations as the global community marks UN Day.
In a statement, Obi emphasized the critical role the UN plays in maintaining global peace and promoting the well-being of people worldwide.
“This day gives us in Nigeria an opportunity to reassess our journey and measure how closely we have adhered to the core values of the UN—peace and security, human rights, the rule of law, and development,” Obi said.
Acknowledging the nation’s challenges, including high levels of insecurity, widespread human rights abuses, and disrespect for the rule of law, Obi urged Nigeria to recommit to these principles. Without them, he argued, true development cannot be achieved.
Obi also stressed the importance of working towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to eliminate poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity by 2030. However, he lamented that Nigeria remains far from achieving these targets.
In the 2023 Sustainable Development Report, Nigeria ranked 146 out of 166 countries, placing it among the bottom 20 in terms of SDG progress. Obi attributed this to years of leadership failure.
He compared Nigeria’s progress to other countries like China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, which have made significant strides in poverty reduction and sustainable development by prioritizing the SDGs. China, for example, lifted 98 million people out of poverty by 2020, while India moved 270 million people out of poverty through active SDG implementation.
Obi reiterated his long-standing belief in the need for focused investments in key sectors such as education, health, and poverty eradication. According to him, these investments are crucial to putting Nigeria on the path to achieving the SDGs and fostering genuine development.
“A New Nigeria remains possible,” he concluded.
