Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised Nigeria’s development priorities, calling for greater investment in women as a pathway to national growth.
In a statement shared via X on Saturday and titled “Channelling Our Women to Critical Areas of Development,” Obi said the country is lagging behind others who are making deliberate efforts to empower women and harness their economic potential.
“While the rest of the nations of the world are investing in critical areas of development such as human capital, we lag behind. Instead of ensuring that our women, the vital segment of our population, are educated and meaningfully integrated into leadership and management structures, where they have consistently proven to contribute significantly to development, we fall short.
“This is evident in countries like the Scandinavian nations and even in developing economies. In Indonesia, for instance, women own over 50% of SMEs, which provide about 98% of jobs. Similarly, in Bangladesh, women make up about 60% of the workforce in the garment industry, the country’s largest export sector, generating about $50 billion—far more than what Nigeria earns annually from crude oil exports,” Obi said.
DAILY POST had earlier reported that, according to a video which started circulating online, there were disturbing reports from Ozoro in Delta State, where footage allegedly showed the assault and harassment of women during a local festival.
Obi noted that in several advanced and developing economies, women play central roles in driving productivity and economic expansion.
Citing examples, he said women own more than half of small and medium-sized enterprises in Indonesia, while in Bangladesh they account for a significant share of the workforce in the garment industry, a sector generating tens of billions of dollars annually.
Obi argued that Nigeria has failed to replicate such progress, despite women making up over half of the population. He stressed the need for policies that promote education, leadership inclusion, and economic participation among women.
The former Anambra State governor also criticised what he described as misplaced national focus, warning that attention on less impactful activities undermines meaningful development efforts.
He called for a shift in priorities toward human capital development, insisting that empowering women and integrating them into key sectors would help rebuild the country’s economy and restore national pride.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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