Peter Obi draws lessons from U.S. and Indonesia in push for Nigeria’s renewal

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has said Nigeria still has the potential for redemption if the right leadership choices are made.

Obi stated this in a reflection on his recent international engagements, which included a three-day trip to the United States where he met with renowned scholars and policymakers.

Peter Obi with James Robinson

He disclosed that one of the defining moments of the trip was a two-hour lunch and walk meeting with Professor James Robinson, co-author of Why Nations Fail and Nobel Laureate in Economics for his work on “Prosperity of Nations.”

According to Obi in a post on Facebook, Monday, Professor Robinson’s observation that “there are nations which clearly know the path to prosperity, yet consistently fail to take it” resonated deeply with him, particularly as Nigeria was cited as an example.

“In our conversation, Professor Robinson reminded me that nations must possess the humility to remain learners if they are to advance. For me, the dialogue was both challenging and inspiring. It strengthened my conviction that Nigeria’s renewal requires difficult choices,” Obi said.

He added that committed reforms and prioritisation of critical sectors could help Nigeria “leapfrog” into meaningful development.

Obi also recalled a previous engagement at Johns Hopkins University with Professor Peter M. Lewis, author of Growing Apart: Oil, Politics, and Economic Change in Indonesia and Nigeria. Lewis’s comparative study, he noted, underscored the divergence between Indonesia and Nigeria despite their similar starting points.

“In pursuit of answers, I travelled to Indonesia itself, where I held constructive engagements with six ministers, a former Vice President, and Indonesia’s most popular president, Joko Widodo,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor stressed that these global encounters reinforced his belief that Nigeria’s decline is not irreversible.

“Nigeria’s story is not a closed chapter of decline but an unfinished narrative with the potential for redemption. With competent and visionary leadership – rooted in capacity, character, commitment, and compassion – Nigeria can still be transformed into a nation of pride, dignity, and prosperity,” he said, signing off with his campaign slogan: “A new Nigeria is POssible.”