Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, has warned that Nigeria is in the grip of a severe crisis, with 38 million people teetering on the brink of extreme hunger.
Speaking during an interview with News Central TV, Obi condemned the wasteful spending of the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of worsening the already dire living conditions of Nigerians.
Obi highlighted what he described as irresponsible expenditure by the government, citing the purchase of a new presidential jet for $100 million, N21 billion spent on renovating the vice president’s lodge, and N15 billion allocated for the construction of a National Assembly clinic.
“You cannot ask people to fast while you are feasting,” he remarked, suggesting that the government’s priorities were out of touch with the challenges faced by millions of ordinary Nigerians.
Obi called for a redirection of Nigeria’s limited resources towards addressing critical development issues, particularly in health, education, poverty alleviation, and national security. “From all records, Nigeria has 38 million people on the verge of extreme hunger; we are the poverty capital of the world,” Obi said. “The two most critical areas that are giving us the crisis are human insecurity and food insecurity. To deal with this, we need to invest in agriculture to solve hunger, unemployment, and inflation.”
In addition to his economic critique, Obi hinted at a potential alliance with other opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election, aimed at offering a united front to tackle the growing hunger crisis and security challenges that plague the nation.
Obi’s comments come as Nigeria faces significant challenges with rising inflation, unemployment, and widespread insecurity. Many citizens continue to express frustration with the government’s handling of the economy, with calls growing louder for urgent reforms in agriculture and social services to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
