Former Anambra Governor and Labor Party 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said telling the truth about Nigeria’s challenges does not amount to unpatriotism, insisting that honest conversations are essential for national renaissance and progress.
Obi made the comment in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the 21st Nigerian Editors’ Conference (ANEC), where he urged journalists and editors to lead the charge to confront the realities of Nigeria instead of defending its failings.
“It is not unpatriotic to tell the truth. It is patriotic to face it. You, the editors, must lead this honest conversation and help politicians like us think differently,” Obi said.
The leader of the Labor Party denounced the worsening state of poverty, education and healthcare in the country, and emphasized that denying the truth would only deepen the crisis.
“People ask me why I say Nigeria is a failed or disgraced state. What else should we call a country where more than 130 million people live in poverty, more than India and China combined? We have more than 20 million out-of-school children, the highest in the world. We have one of the highest infant mortality rates, seven times higher than India. Yet we care more about our image than our reality,” he said.
Obi noted that while some recent government policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and exchange rate unification, may seem commendable, they cannot succeed in an environment plagued by corruption and wasteful governance.
“The poor cannot be asked to fast while leaders feast. We must put an end to executive recklessness that drains public resources. We must build institutions, not personalities,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with global governance standards, Obi cited the example of the mayor of New York City, who manages a budget three times that of Nigeria but lives modestly.
“If that mayor traveled in two official vehicles, he would be out of office the next day. That is responsibility. But here our priorities are reversed.
We build bus terminals worth billions of naira while mothers die in childbirth due to lack of basic healthcare. Our National Assembly Clinic has a budget larger than that of six major teaching hospitals combined. How can you justify that? said.
The former governor also condemned the growing culture of borrowing for consumption, noting that many of Nigeria’s Eurobond debts will mature within decades, long after the current leaders are gone.
“These debts, which mature in 2048, 2049 and 2051, will be paid by our children. However, the funds are not being invested in productive companies that ensure their future,” he warned.
Obi called on Nigerian leaders to prioritize long-term development over political expediency, urging them to “think about the next generation, not the next election.”
He commended the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) for inviting him to the event, describing it as a gesture of inclusivity and a demonstration of the role of the press in strengthening democracy.
“This is the first time I have been invited to this conference and I am deeply honored. Democracy thrives on dialogue, not exclusion. Let us build strong institutions, foster a credible opposition and restore accountability. Power is transitory, but the consequences of our actions will outlive us,” he said.