Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential flagbearer in the 2023 election, has criticised the Federal Government over reports that it approved a $9 million contract for foreign lobbying in the United States, describing the expenditure as a symbol of misplaced priorities and national embarrassment.
Reacting in a post on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the former Anambra State governor argued that the funds could have been better deployed to address Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system, particularly by equipping hospitals and improving medical outcomes for citizens.
Obi lamented what he described as a persistent pattern among Nigerian leaders to favour wasteful spending, propaganda, and image laundering over meaningful development.
According to him, public funds are often channelled toward masking governance failures rather than fixing the systems that directly affect people’s lives.
He noted that the reported $9 million lobbying deal represents only a fraction of similar expenditures globally, yet it vividly reflects the broader governance crisis facing the country. Obi linked such spending to Nigeria’s long-standing poor performance on key development indicators, especially the Human Development Index (HDI).
According to him, Nigeria has remained stuck in the low HDI category for more than three decades, from 1990 to 2025, while countries that were once peers have made remarkable progress. He pointed to nations like China and Indonesia, which have transitioned from low to medium and even high HDI levels, despite Nigeria having a significantly higher per capita income than China in 1990.
Obi stressed that these countries’ progress was not accidental but the result of deliberate choices, sound leadership, and consistent prioritisation of human development. In contrast, he said Nigeria continues to lag behind due to poor decision-making and lack of discipline in public spending.
Breaking down the implications of the $9 million expenditure, Obi referenced the three core components of the HDI: health, education, and income. He argued that Nigeria is underperforming in all three, with the health sector being a particularly glaring example.
Converting the amount to about ₦14 billion, Obi highlighted Nigeria’s dire health statistics, including having one of the lowest life expectancies globally and ranking among the top two countries for maternal mortality. He described childbirth in Nigeria as dangerously risky and questioned why such realities persist while funds are spent abroad to polish the country’s image.
He maintained that the money reportedly spent on lobbyists could have been used to procure critical medical equipment for hospitals across the country, directly improving healthcare delivery and saving lives. Obi added that the same amount would be enough to cover the entire 2024 capital budget of at least one major teaching hospital in each geopolitical zone.
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According to him, Nigeria does not lack resources but suffers from a deficit of effective leadership, clear priorities, and accountability. Without addressing these fundamental issues, he warned, the country will continue to struggle despite its vast potential.
