Peter Obi, a leading opposition figure in Nigeria and sole presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 elections, has said Africa possesses enough natural and human resources to overcome poverty, stressing that poor leadership and weak institutions remain the continent’s major obstacles to development.
Obi made the remarks during an international dialogue on Policies for Growth in Africa held at the Spier Dialogue in Cape Town over the weekend.
Sharing details of his participation via his X account, the former Anambra governor said he had earlier held meetings with ministers in South Africa before addressing the event.
According to him, Africa’s abundance of natural resources, including extensive mineral deposits, vast uncultivated arable land, and a youthful population, should position the continent for economic prosperity rather than poverty.
“Africa has no reason to be impoverished. Our continent is endowed with vast natural and human resources,” Obi said.
He noted that Africa possesses more than 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land and has the youngest population globally, arguing that these advantages should be treated as assets capable of driving sustainable economic growth.
However, Obi said the continent continues to struggle with ineffective leadership, corruption, fragile institutions, and high governance costs, which have limited development and prosperity.
He urged African leaders to shift attention from what he described as distractions caused by politics and endless election cycles towards productivity, economic development, and nation-building.
According to him, sustainable progress would require significant investment in human development indicators, particularly education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.
Obi expressed concern over persistent challenges facing many African countries, including low life expectancy, high infant mortality rates, unemployment, and rising poverty levels.
He also highlighted the struggles faced by small and medium-scale enterprises, saying inconsistent policies, poor infrastructure, and difficult economic conditions have weakened businesses across the continent.
The former governor called for leadership driven by competence, empathy, and commitment to development.
“What Africa requires is capable leadership that exhibits capacity, empathy, and a commitment to prioritise production over consumption, and development over political manoeuvring,” he said.
Obi maintained that investing in people, strengthening institutions, reducing governance costs, tackling corruption, and creating a favourable business environment would help build a more productive, secure, democratic, and prosperous Africa.
