Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, addressed students and faculty at Johns Hopkins University, USA, during a lecture on “Politics and Change in Nigeria,” at the invitation of Professor Peter Lewis, noted author of Growing Apart: Comparing Indonesia and Nigeria.
In his address, Obi emphasized the pivotal role political leadership plays in shaping a nation’s trajectory. He argued that Nigeria’s current state—marked by economic struggles and deepening poverty—is a direct consequence of ineffective, unaccountable, and visionless leadership. “Competent, capable, and compassionate leaders with integrity are essential to achieving sustainable growth,” he said.
Obi compared Nigeria’s development path with three other countries: China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In 1990, all four countries were ranked in the same medium category on the Human Development Index (HDI). Today, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam have moved into the high HDI category, while Nigeria has slipped into the low category.
GDP per capita tells a similar story. In 1990, Nigeria’s GDP per capita ($556) was higher than China’s ($317), Indonesia’s ($578), and significantly higher than Vietnam’s ($99). Now, Nigeria’s figure has fallen far behind—only one-fifth of Indonesia’s and Vietnam’s, and less than one-tenth of China’s.
Poverty levels have also shifted dramatically. In 1990, Nigeria had fewer people living in poverty (about 50 million) than China (750 million), Indonesia (85 million), or Vietnam (60 million). Today, Nigeria has more people living in poverty than all three of those countries combined.
“What changed?” Obi asked. His answer: political leadership. According to him, while those countries invested strategically in education, healthcare, and poverty reduction, Nigeria’s leaders failed to prioritize these fundamental areas.
He concluded with a hopeful message: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
