Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government over what he described as wasteful spending and poor prioritisation, following reports that $9 million in public funds was spent on foreign lobbyists in Washington.
In a statement shared on his official X handle on Friday, Obi described the expenditure as “tragic and concerning,” arguing that it reflects a broader pattern of corruption, propaganda and misplaced priorities that have continued to undermine Nigeria’s development.
According to him, the reported $9 million equivalent to about ₦14 billion represents only a fraction of what is lost globally through similar wasteful practices, while ordinary Nigerians continue to suffer from failing public systems.
Obi linked the issue to Nigeria’s long-standing poor 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. He contrasted Nigeria’s stagnation with countries such as China and Indonesia, which have progressed from low to medium and high HDI categories over the same period.
“The difference was not destiny or natural resources,”Obi said, “but leadership choices and clear prioritisation.”
Using healthcare as a case study, Obi highlighted Nigeria’s poor health indicators, including the world’s lowest life expectancy ranking and one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally. He argued that funds spent on image management abroad could have been redirected toward improving healthcare infrastructure at home.
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He cited the 2024 capital budget allocations to six federal teaching hospitals, one from each geopolitical zone, which together total about ₦13.9 billion. Obi noted that the $9 million spent on lobbyists could have fully funded the capital budgets of at least one major teaching hospital in each zone.
“These are our premier medical centres,” he said, adding that improved funding could directly enhance survival rates, quality of care and overall life expectancy for Nigerians.
Obi warned that continued neglect of critical sectors such as health, education and income growth would only deepen Nigeria’s development crisis. He stressed that public funds must be used to serve citizens rather than “pay foreigners to pretend that everything is fine.”
Calling for discipline, accountability and responsible leadership, Obi concluded that Nigeria can no longer afford misplaced priorities, insisting that meaningful change remains possible with the right choices.
“A New Nigeria is Possible,” he said.