Nigeria’s poverty crisis stems from leadership deficit

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has drawn attention to Nigeria’s escalating poverty crisis, attributing it to a severe leadership deficit in the country.

Obi highlighted this when he spoke at the installation ceremony of Rotary International’s new District Governor in Awka, Anambra State.

“This leadership failure has resulted in Nigeria having the highest number of homeless people globally, with over 130 million Nigerians living below the poverty line, a figure that has worsened significantly over the past eight years,” Obi said in a statement on Saturday via X.

The former Anambra State governor emphasised that Nigeria’s challenges are not due to a lack of resources but rather stem from accumulated leadership failures over the years. He pointed out that despite the country’s wealth of resources, its global standing has continued to decline.

He said, “I took the opportunity to re-echo my firm belief that Nigeria’s challenges are not due to a lack of resources but rather a severe leadership deficit in the country.

“Despite Nigeria’s wealth of resources, the country’s global standing has continued to decline, primarily due to accumulated leadership failure over the years.”

Obi called for a paradigm shift in leadership, urging for transformational leaders who prioritise national development over personal gains.

“There is therefore a need for transformational leadership to address these issues and steer Nigeria towards a more prosperous future. I emphasised the need for leaders to show commitment to national development by prioritising the well-being of the people over personal gains, and I urged the Rotary community to be at the forefront of this leadership transformation in the country,” he said.

Addressing the Rotary community, Obi encouraged them to be at the forefront of this leadership transformation in the country. He stressed the importance of focusing on service to the community, nation, and humanity through local and global projects.

“Taking on projects in areas of education, health and fighting poverty will greatly transform our nation,” Obi added.

The former presidential candidate congratulated the newly installed District Governor, Rtn A. U. Nnonyelu, and urged him to uphold Rotary International’s vision of service.