Peter Obi: North is Nigeria’s greatest asset

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has described northern Nigeria as the country’s most valuable resource, citing its vast agricultural potential and human capital. Speaking during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television on Monday, Obi said the region’s expansive uncultivated land could drive economic transformation if properly […]

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has described northern Nigeria as the country’s most valuable resource, citing its vast agricultural potential and human capital.

Speaking during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television on Monday, Obi said the region’s expansive uncultivated land could drive economic transformation if properly harnessed.

“Our greatest asset is in the north. The vast uncultivated land in the north is our future. We can make more money as a country from agriculture than we make from oil, and we must begin to do that immediately,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor stressed that agriculture could surpass oil as Nigeria’s primary revenue source, urging urgent investment in the sector to unlock its full potential.

Obi also expressed willingness to collaborate with key northern political figures, including Nasir el-Rufai and Rabiu Kwankwaso, as part of efforts to drive development in the region.

“I will work with them, but I can tell you that nobody can build what I intend to build in the north,” he added.

On the issue of insecurity, Obi linked the crisis in the region to poverty, weak governance, and years of neglect, noting that sustainable peace can only be achieved through strategic investments in critical sectors.

“If we want to secure the north today, we need to start investing in critical areas of agriculture, pull people out of poverty, and invest in education and health. That is what we must do,” he said.

He argued that the current security challenges are the cumulative result of leadership failures over time, including the erosion of governance structures and societal values.

“Insecurity we see today is caused by erosion of governance, erosion of values, and abandoning the youths. It is the cumulative effect of leadership failure over the years,” Obi stated.

Calling for a tougher approach, he said Nigeria must adopt a more decisive stance in tackling insecurity.