Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised the Federal Government’s reported $9 million spending on foreign lobbyists, describing it as a symbol of Nigeria’s misplaced priorities amid worsening development outcomes.
This is according to a statement he shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, where he reacted to reports of public funds allegedly deployed for lobbying in Washington.
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He argued that while the $9 million figure has drawn attention, it represents only a fraction of the broader inefficiencies and misallocations that continue to undermine Nigeria’s progress across key social and economic indicators.
In his post, Obi lamented what he described as a culture of waste, corruption, propaganda, and poor prioritisation within government, warning that these choices have long-term consequences for national development.
He said, “It is both tragic and concerning that our leaders continue to prioritize waste, corruption, propaganda, lies, and negative aspects of development over positive initiatives.”
Reacting specifically to the reported lobbying expenditure, Obi said the spending mirrors the country’s overall decline and reflects governance choices that have failed to translate public resources into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
According to him, such expenditures are emblematic of a system that favours image management over addressing structural problems.
Obi anchored his criticism on Nigeria’s long-standing performance on the Human Development Index (HDI), noting that the country has remained in the low HDI category for 35 years, from 1990 to 2025.
“In contrast, comparable nations within the same low category, such as China—where Nigeria had a three-fold higher per capita income in 1990—and Indonesia have advanced from low to medium, and now to high categories,” Obi stated.
According to him, this divergence was not the result of chance, miracles, or natural resource advantages, but rather the outcome of deliberate policy choices, leadership discipline, and sustained prioritisation of human development.
Breaking down the implications of the reported $9 million spending, Obi focused on the three core HDI components: life expectancy, education, and per capita income, arguing that Nigeria is underperforming in all three.
To illustrate his point, Obi cited allocations in the 2024 capital budget to six federal teaching hospitals, one from each geopolitical zone.
These include N2.67 billion for the University College Hospital, Ibadan; N2.46 billion for Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; and N2.8 billion for the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu;
Others are N2.43 billion for the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City; N1.16 billion for the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin; and N2.37 billion for the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri—totalling about N13.9 billion.
“This situation is unacceptable. Every naira of taxpayers’ money should serve the Nigerian people,” Obi stated.