The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has accused the Nigerian government of harbouring more corrupt individuals than the broader society.
Obi made the statement during his address as the guest speaker at Nexford University’s 4th graduation ceremony in Lagos on Saturday.
During his speech, Obi lamented that public officials in Nigeria are exploiting the nation by misusing public resources for personal gain.
He emphasized the need for strong leadership to effectively manage the country’s affairs, particularly in addressing corruption.
He pointed out that while many often associate corruption with “Yahoo boys” (internet fraudsters), the government sector is rife with even greater instances of corruption. “For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices, it is only Yahoo boys. There are actually more Yahoo people in government than there are outside because we have turned the entire country into a crime scene where people inside are stealing and people outside are stealing,” Obi said.
Obi also underscored the importance of quality leadership, urging the graduates to become agents of positive change in their communities. He explained that leadership is not about complexity but about having strong character and making the right decisions. “It is about leadership and igniting the future. It is not rocket science but it is difficult. It is being able to have a strong character, the ability not to do the wrong thing,” he noted.
He urged the graduates to use the knowledge they had gained to help improve society. “You are a victim of Nigeria because our age and the age before has refused to do what is right and you are suffering it,” Obi added.
In her speech, former Minister of Solid Minerals and CEO of Human Capital Africa, Oby Ezekwesili, stressed that selfless service is the foundation of good leadership. She urged the graduates to contribute positively to their workplaces and to the country, stating that “Service is the best of leadership. We hope that you see graduation as an opportunity for service to the work.”
Mrs. Ezekwesili also highlighted the importance of mastering the new world of work, which she described as vastly different from previous generations’ experience.
On the sidelines of the event, Obi spoke to journalists about the critical role of online education in addressing Nigeria’s educational challenges. He pointed to successful examples from countries like Pakistan, India, and Turkey, which have leveraged online platforms to educate large populations. Obi stressed that Nigeria must combine both online and traditional education to better serve its vast population and improve access to quality learning.
“We need to massively educate people because education is one of the most important tools of development. The more educated any country or society is, the more developed,” he added.
