CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has declared that Africa has no justification for its persistent poverty given its vast natural and human wealth.
Obi made the assertion on Saturday while delivering a guest speech at the Spier Dialogue 2026 event focused on “Policies for Growth in Africa” in Cape Town, South Africa.
Okay News reports that Obi highlighted the continent’s strategic assets, including its massive mineral reserves, over 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, and the youngest population globally, urging leaders to view these resources as tools for economic transformation rather than liabilities.
The tech-savvy politician argued that despite these immense advantages, the continent continues to lag behind global peers due to poor leadership, institutional corruption, weak administrative structures, and the high cost of governance.
He called for a decisive shift in focus away from endless political election cycles toward productivity, sustainable development, and active nation-building across African states.
Obi emphasized the urgent need for aggressive investments in the Human Development Index (HDI), explicitly pointing out that key indicators like quality education, accessible healthcare, and poverty alleviation must take priority to reverse low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates.
He further lamented the continuous collapse of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) across the continent, attributing their failure to harsh economic conditions, inadequate infrastructure, and chronic policy inconsistencies.
Rounding off his address, Obi maintained that Africa’s rescue depends entirely on competent, compassionate leadership committed to production over consumption, noting that fixing infrastructure and cutting governance costs will ultimately build a secure, democratic, and prosperous continent that works for all its citizens.
