Following reports that about $9 million was spent on foreign lobbyists in Washington, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has faulted the Federal Government, accusing it of consistently choosing wasteful spending over the welfare of Nigerians.
In a statement shared on his X handle on Friday, Obi said the alleged expenditure highlights a troubling pattern in which public funds are used to polish Nigeria’s image abroad while living conditions at home continue to worsen.
He warned that Nigeria’s deepening development challenges are the direct outcome of poor leadership decisions.
“It is both tragic and concerning that our leaders continue to prioritize waste, corruption, propaganda, lies, and negative aspects of development over positive initiatives. Recently, it was reported that $9 million of taxpayers’ money was spent on lobbyists in Washington, which I believe is just a small fraction of the global waste occurring in the same manner.
“This situation aligns with the disgraceful state of Nigeria. This is merely a small example of wasteful spending that has contributed to our nation’s current failing status. To further illustrate the impact of such waste, we can look at a critical measure of development: the Human Development Index (HDI).”
Obi noted that Nigeria has remained stuck in the low HDI category for 35 years, from 1990 to 2025, while countries such as China and Indonesia—once in similar positions—have progressed to medium and high development categories.
He pointed out that in 1990, Nigeria’s per capita income was three times higher than China’s, yet China and Indonesia advanced due to deliberate leadership choices.
“The achievements of these nations were not the result of fate, miracles, or natural endowments, but rather a consequence of choices and the cumulative effects of good and bad leadership,” Obi stressed.
Turning to healthcare, Obi described Nigeria’s health indicators as alarming, noting that health is one of the three core components of the HDI.
“Nigeria now has the lowest life expectancy in the world and ranks among the top two countries globally for maternal mortality, making childbirth one of the most precarious experiences for Nigerian women. Instead of investing in life-saving systems, we spend millions trying to obscure our failures,” he said.
He argued that the $9 million reportedly paid to lobbyists could have been redirected towards procuring critical medical equipment, thereby improving healthcare delivery and enhancing Nigeria’s global reputation.
“This $9 million is sufficient to fund the entire 2024 capital budget for at least one major teaching hospital in each zone, enhancing survival rates, care, and life expectancy,” Obi said.
According to Obi, Nigeria’s challenge is not a lack of resources but a failure of priorities, discipline, and leadership.
He concluded, “Every naira of taxpayers’ money should serve the Nigerian people. Instead, citizens are dying in failing hospitals while the government pays foreigners to pretend that everything is fine. We cannot continue to live in an illusion while our reality deteriorates. This constant prioritization of trivial matters must come to an end”.