Former National Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has said Nigeria has sufficient resources to provide basic necessities for its citizens, but poor governance and misplaced priorities continue to undermine national development.

Obi made the remarks while narrating an encounter with a young Nigerian nurse who was born and trained in the United States but recently visited Nigeria for the first time.

In a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, the former Anambra State governor said that the tragic road accident involving boxer Anthony Joshua’s friends in Ogun State during the yuletide period highlighted the country’s weak emergency response system.

He noted that the victims could have been rushed to hospital immediately if functional ambulances were available.

According to Obi, a standard ambulance costs about ₦150 million (approximately $100,000), yet Nigeria spent ₦39 billion to refurbish the National Conference Centre in Abuja and ₦21 billion on the Vice President’s residence.

“Those two projects alone, ₦60 billion could have provided about 400 brand-new ambulances, roughly 11 per state, including the FCT,” he said.

“Had 11 functional ambulances existed in Ogun State, one might have been available for Joshua.”

Obi stressed that Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of funds but poor leadership and mismanagement of resources.

“The country is not poor, but it is poorly governed. Nigeria can afford basic necessities, especially critical and necessary ones, but they are often not considered priorities due to incompetent leadership,” he said.

He further stated that building a primary healthcare centre in a community costs about ₦75 million, yet the country reportedly spent ₦300 billion (about $200 million) on an additional presidential jet.

“That amount could have built over 4,000 primary healthcare centres, about 110 per state,” Obi said.

He added that the only visible value of the jet is the ability of President Bola Tinubu “to occasionally disappear without the public knowing where he is.”

Obi also referenced the young nurse’s intention to organise a GoFundMe campaign to support healthcare in Nigeria, noting that the idea was discouraged by relatives who feared the funds could be misappropriated.

Despite this, he urged Nigerians not to lose hope, insisting that with responsible leadership, the country can meet the basic needs of its people. (New Telegraph)

•Mr. Peter Obi