Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the previous presidential election, has labeled Ukraine’s food aid to Nigeria as a national embarrassment.
Ukraine’s government has generously donated 25,000 tons of wheat to Nigeria, aiming to alleviate the food crisis affecting 1.3 million people in Nigeria’s north-east.
Obi expressed his gratitude for Ukraine’s benevolent act on his social media account on Monday. However, he also highlighted the Nigerian government’s failure to provide for its citizens.
He expressed his disappointment that Nigeria, a country rich in arable land and natural resources, is now reliant on food aid from Ukraine, a country currently embroiled in war.
In his post, Obi wrote, “I want to express my sincere gratitude to Ukraine, a country currently at war, for their generous donation of grains to Nigeria, which is helping us combat our nationwide hunger crisis.
“While Ukraine’s act of kindness is commendable, it is a stark reminder for us, a nation blessed with abundant human and natural resources, that a country engaged in a brutal war with its powerful neighbor, Russia, is still able to provide us with food aid despite us being officially at peace.
“This act of human solidarity from the people of Ukraine is a testament to their extraordinary generosity, which should garner them more global support. It is a demonstration of our shared humanity.
“However, this situation strongly emphasizes the critical role of effective political leadership as a fundamental prerequisite for any nation aspiring to develop and improve its citizens’ living standards.
“It is disheartening that our once economically robust nation, endowed with vast arable land and abundant natural resources, is now dependent on war-torn Ukraine for food aid. This national humiliation is a result of years of leadership failure, necessitating an urgent reassessment and reorganization of our national priorities and resource management and allocation.
“Interestingly, Ukraine, with a population of 43 million and a land area of 603,728 km2, outperforms Northern Nigeria, which covers 744,249 km2 and has a youthful, energetic population exceeding 100 million. In 2015, Ukraine’s GDP per capita was $2125, compared to Nigeria’s $2680. By 2022, despite being at war, Ukraine’s GDP per capita had surpassed $4000, while Nigeria’s had fallen to $2184. Ukraine cultivates over 60 per cent of its arable land, while Nigeria leaves over 60 per cent of its arable land uncultivated.
“Despite the ongoing conflict, Ukraine is self-sufficient in food and exports agricultural products worth over $25bn, which is roughly equivalent to our crude oil export earnings. It serves as a strategic global food supplier and even provides aid to Nigeria, a peaceful but unproductive country.”
He concluded by saying, “To overcome this humiliation, we must aggressively reorder our priorities by investing resources in productive sectors like agriculture. It is crucial to address insecurity to allow farmers to return to their fields, thereby enabling a productive manufacturing sector and supporting small businesses.
“With a concerted effort over four to five years, we can reverse the current trend and steer us towards a productive and new Nigeria that I believe is achievable and within our grasp.”
