Obi spoke on Saturday during a visit to Aba, where he met with stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at the invitation of Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south.

According to him, while Nigeria is endowed with economic potential, particularly in production hubs like Aba, poor leadership has continued to hinder the country from maximising its strengths.

“When I speak about moving the country from consumption to production, Aba remains one of the cities that will contribute immensely to that,” Obi said.

He noted that Aba’s established garment and shoe industries could significantly boost Nigeria’s economy if properly managed and supported, drawing comparisons with countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam where similar sectors generate substantial revenue.

Obi said garments and footwear production earn as much as oil revenue for those countries, adding that Nigeria could achieve similar outcomes under effective leadership.

“Our challenge remains competent leadership with capacity, compassion, and commitment to the development of our country, as it is in other comparable nations,” he said.

During the visit, Obi also granted a one-hour interview on Magic FM — his first radio and television appearance for the year — where he reiterated his position on economic transformation through production.

He commended Alex Otti, governor of Abia state, for ongoing efforts in the state, and expressed appreciation to Abaribe and ADC stakeholders for the reception and engagement.

The post Peter Obi: Nigeria’s challenge remains lack of competent leadership first appeared on The Times of Abuja.