Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says any country where politicians are more successful than entrepreneurs is on the path to failure.
Speaking at the Next Generation Summit in Abuja on Saturday, Obi argued that politics has become overly attractive in Nigeria because it offers access to wealth without corresponding productivity.
The former Anambra governor said entrepreneurship, innovation and productivity—not politics—are the true drivers of national development.
“Politics don’t make a society,” Obi said.
“But you see, in our country today, politics has become the greatest, the most sought-after job. That means there is something wrong.”
According to him, societies thrive when entrepreneurs and innovators are celebrated and rewarded more than politicians.
“Any society where you see people in government doing better than entrepreneurs is a failed country,” he said.
“That’s why we’re failing.”
Obi argued that wealth generated through political office does not contribute to economic growth in the same way as wealth created through business and enterprise.
“What you’re doing is that people are making money without entrepreneurship and without creating any wealth,” he said.
“So there’s no productivity. They’re just stealing money.”
The former governor said the culture of political patronage has elevated public office holders above wealth creators in Nigeria.
“If I become governor today, I’m the richest person. Everybody wants to see me. I don’t go to see anybody,” he said.
“Everybody wants to see the president.”
Drawing a comparison with the United States, Obi recalled the influence of business leaders on national life.
“The first time Clinton shut down the office of the president in America was when Bill Gates came to visit him because he was the richest man,” he said.
“So everybody values entrepreneurship and productivity.”
Obi lamented the lack of opportunities available to young Nigerians after graduation, despite what he described as the country’s abundant human capital.
“Today our young people leave school and they don’t know where to go,” he said.
“Nobody cares about them. Nobody gives them opportunities.”
“We have one of the smartest people on the surface of the earth.”
He said many young Nigerians involved in internet fraud and other criminal activities possess talents that could be redirected into productive ventures if given the right support.
“When people tell me about young boys who are doing Yahoo Yahoo, I laugh,” he said.
“I say that’s what used to happen in India until they turned them into doing the right thing. Today they are ruling the world in technology.”
Obi also linked rising criminality to widespread poverty, unemployment and a lack of economic opportunities.
“When people talk about criminality, I say the same thing to them,” he said.
“You have millions of people who don’t know where the next meal will come from and nobody cares.”
He accused members of the political class of accumulating excessive wealth while ordinary citizens struggle to survive.
“Yet you have a society where people like me are stealing what they don’t need,” he said.
“So you ask yourself, greed must have limits or you’re sick.”
According to Obi, corruption remains one of the biggest obstacles to economic growth and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
“Entrepreneurship changes society. That’s what drives the process,” he said.
“But because of corruption, it cannot work.”
“Corruption kills entrepreneurship. It kills professionalism. It kills hard work because people are making money easily. And that must change.”
