Former presidential candidate and Labour Party leader, Peter Obi, has delivered a blistering indictment of Nigeria’s political leadership, declaring that the country’s staggering youth unemployment crisis is not a failure of young people but a monumental collapse of leadership.

Obi stated this in his verified ‘X’ handle on Tuesday while reacting to a recent ActionAid/Plan International report which revealed that over 80 million Nigerian youths were unemployed.

He described the situation as a “national emergency” that exposes decades of political greed, policy recklessness, and misplaced priorities.

According to the report, Nigeria currently tops the world in the absolute number of unemployed youths, a consequence of its large population and sustained economic mismanagement.

Obi contrasted Nigeria’s situation with South Africa, where a youth unemployment rate of about 60 percent translated to roughly six million unemployed youths, more than 70 million fewer than Nigeria’s figure.

“When millions of youths are unemployed, it is not a youth problem; it is a leadership failure,” Obi said.

He noted that with about 75 percent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 35, such widespread joblessness should trigger urgent national action rather than indifference.

Instead, Obi accused successive governments of squandering opportunities through wasteful spending, corruption, unproductive borrowing, and policies that shrink economic opportunities while expanding poverty.

The former Anambra State governor lamented that rather than investing in young Nigerians as the country’s most productive asset, leaders have allowed desperation to push many youths into crime, political thuggery, and other social vices.

“Nigeria does not lack entrepreneurial and resourceful youths, what we lack are leaders who are intentional about creating opportunities,” he stressed.

He argued that sustainable jobs could only come from deliberate investments in production, strong support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and a transparent, people-centred government committed to lifting citizens out of poverty.

He, however, urged Nigerian youths to take responsibility for their future by engaging politically and electing leaders who genuinely represent their interests.

“Nigeria deserves competent, credible, compassionate, and capable leadership that sees the youth as the engine of productivity and growth,” he added. (Daily Sun)