Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over what he described as misplaced priorities, condemning the reported spending of $9 million (about ₦14 billion) on foreign lobbyists while critical sectors at home remain in deep crisis.
Obi in a post on his X handle on Friday, said it was “both tragic and concerning” that Nigeria’s leaders continue to prioritise waste, corruption, propaganda and false narratives of progress instead of investing in initiatives that would genuinely improve the lives of citizens.
He argued that the reported expenditure on lobbyists in Washington was only a fraction of broader global waste that reflects the country’s poor state of governance.
“Recently, it was reported that $9 million of taxpayers’ money was spent on lobbyists in Washington, which I believe is just a small fraction of the global waste occurring in the same manner,” Obi said. “This situation aligns with the disgraceful state of Nigeria.”
According to him, the spending is a clear example of how wasteful decisions have contributed to Nigeria’s persistent underdevelopment. He cited the Human Development Index (HDI) as a key indicator, noting that Nigeria has remained in the low HDI category for 35 years, from 1990 to 2025, while countries once at similar or lower levels have made significant progress.
Obi contrasted Nigeria’s stagnation with the advancement of countries such as China and Indonesia. He noted that in 1990, Nigeria’s per capita income was three times higher than China’s, yet China and Indonesia have since moved from low to medium, and now to high HDI categories. “Their achievements were not the result of fate, miracles, or natural endowments, but rather a consequence of choices and the cumulative effects of good and bad leadership,” he said.
Breaking down the implications of the $9 million (₦14 billion) expenditure, Obi pointed to the three core components of HDI — health, education and per capita income — arguing that Nigeria is failing in all three. On healthcare, he described the situation as dire, stressing that Nigeria currently has the lowest life expectancy globally and ranks among the top two countries in maternal mortality, making childbirth increasingly dangerous for Nigerian women.
“Instead of investing in life-saving systems, we spend millions trying to obscure our failures,” Obi said, lamenting what he described as the government’s preference for image laundering over meaningful reform.
To further illustrate his point, Obi cited allocations to six federal teaching hospitals — one from each geopolitical zone — under the 2024 capital budget, which is still in operation. These include ₦2.67 billion for University College Hospital, Ibadan; ₦2.46 billion for Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; ₦2.8 billion for University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; ₦2.43 billion for University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City; ₦1.16 billion for University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; and ₦2.37 billion for University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, bringing the total to ₦13.9 billion.
He argued that the $9 million spent on foreign lobbyists could have funded the entire capital budget of at least one major teaching hospital in each zone, significantly improving healthcare delivery, survival rates and life expectancy, while also enhancing Nigeria’s global image through real progress rather than public relations.
“This $9 million is sufficient to fund the entire 2024 capital budget for at least one major teaching hospital in each zone,” Obi said. “The funds are available; what is lacking are prioritization, discipline, and effective leadership.”
Describing the situation as unacceptable, Obi stressed that public funds must work for the people. “Every naira of taxpayers’ money should serve the Nigerian people. Instead, citizens are dying in failing hospitals while the government pays foreigners to pretend that everything is fine,” he said, warning that the country cannot continue to live in denial as conditions worsen.
He concluded with a call for urgent change in leadership values and governance direction, insisting that misplaced priorities must end. “This constant prioritization of trivial matters must come to an end,” Obi declared. “A New Nigeria is Possible.”