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The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, said the Nigeria’s escalating poverty crisis is in connection with the severe leadership deficit in the country.
Obi said this when he spoke at the installation ceremony of Rotary International’s new District Governor in Awka, Anambra State.
Obi said this in a statement posted on X, “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."
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that the challenges stemmed from accumulated leadership failures over the years.
He pointed out that despite the country’s wealth of resources, its global standing had 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 emphasise the need for leaders to show commitment to national development by prioritising the well-being of the people over personal gains, and I urge the Rotary community to be at the forefront of this leadership transformation in the country,” he said.
