April 3, 2022

Former Governor Peter Obi has stated that Nigeria needs competent leaders with integrity, willing to make the much needed sacrifices for the turn around, growth and development of the country, while calling on Nigerian youths to be more actively involved in politics and governance for the sake of their future.

Obi made the remarks recently in Abuja at the Inauguration and Swearing-in-Ceremony of the National Executive Council of Nigeria Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council. He explained that the dearth of sacrificial leadership and apparent apathy shown by Nigerian youths towards politics and governance, have continued to impact negatively on the country.

Sharing what he described as lessons from his trip to Morocco, Obi said the trip has strengthened his belief that the future of Nigeria’s economic growth and development lies with sacrificial leadership and an army of Nigerian youths, ready to make sacrifices for the greater good of the nation.

He asserted that Morocco is able to achieve great heights security, economic and education wise because they have leaders willing to make painful sacrifices for the benefit of society.

“Morocco, a country of 35 million in population and about 1/7th of Nigeria’s population, and without oil deposits as we have, generated over $40 billion worth of exports in 2021, twice of what Nigeria earns from exports including crude oil.

“Their major exports include vehicles, from which they earned $10 million with 62% of the vehicles’ components sourced locally. 10 years ago, Morocco only exported less than 10,000 vehicles, but have today grown their vehicles export capacity to nearly a million vehicles per year,” Obi said.

He continued, “They exported about $8.5 billion worth of agricultural products, $5 billion worth of textiles and leather, $2 billion worth of aeronautics products and $1.5 billion worth of electrical and electronics products in 2021.

“Further to its export earnings, with about 15% of its population in diaspora, Morocco generates over $8 billion diaspora remittances and about the same amount from tourism.”

Narrating how his trip to Tanger Med Port brought even more revelation on how good leadership has transformed Morocco, Obi said “I visited Tanger Med Port, a port that has thrice the entire port capacity of the ports in Nigeria put together. Driving from Rabat to Tanger Med Port, a trip of about 2 and half hours, I did not meet any traffic jam or any policeman on the road despite Morocco having 35 million people in population and having more police personnel than Nigeria, a country of 200 million people.

He continued, “Tanger Med Port in Morocco is the only African port among the 50 biggest ports in the world, handling about 9 million containers and 7 million passengers annually. There are over 900 individual companies, cutting across automotive, aeronautics, trade industries, clustered around the port, contributing to the port’s activities and providing jobs for the populace.”

Obi encouraged Nigerians to ensure that only leaders with proven leadership abilities and integrity, willing to make sacrifices for the nation are elected into power while urging the youths to take back their country and build it into a nation of progress, peace and development.