Peter Obi tells Monaco forum Nigeria will be Africa’s biggest investment frontier by 2050

Mr. Peter Obi, former presidential candidate,  has urged global investors to prioritise Nigeria as their primary gateway into Africa, insisting the country remains the continent’s greatest investment frontier despite present economic challenges.

Obi made the remarks on Monday in Monaco on Monday where he was a guest speaker at the 4th Africa Day event organised by the Club des Entrepreneurs Monégasques en Afrique (CEMA). His presentation focused on the future of Africa, and Nigeria in particular, by the year 2050.

According to him, Africa is “the continent of tomorrow,” powered by its vast natural resources and a rapidly growing youthful population. He noted that 60 percent of Africa’s citizens are young people who will drive global innovation, productivity, and economic competitiveness in the coming decades.

Obi projected that by 2050, Nigeria’s population will rise to about 320 million – with roughly 200 million citizens in their productive age bracket. He argued that with the right leadership attributes – capacity, compassion, character, and commitment – the country can dramatically transform its economic fortunes.

He stressed that Nigeria must drastically cut waste and corruption while investing aggressively in four key sectors: security, health, education, and poverty alleviation. With disciplined implementation of these priorities, he said, Nigeria could grow into a $2 trillion economy between 2030 and 2050, with a per capita income of about $7,000.

Obi added that maintaining this trajectory could see Nigeria meet Goldman Sachs’ long-term projection of a $13 trillion GDP and a per capita income of $30,000 by 2075.

The former Anambra State governor urged investors and entrepreneurs at the Monaco event to take advantage of “immense opportunities ahead,” positioning Nigeria as their launchpad into the wider African market.

“I reassured them of a new Nigeria that is possible and indeed a new Africa that is also possible,” Obi said, reiterating his belief that with visionary leadership and disciplined economic reforms, the country could become one of the world’s major growth engines.