Peter Obi questions economic value of Tinubu’s trip

Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom, questioning the economic value of the trip and urging Nigerian leaders to focus on productive diplomacy that delivers tangible benefits to citizens.

In a post shared on X on Saturday, Obi argued that state visits by national leaders should not be treated as “tourism” or “fashion parades,” but as strategic opportunities to secure investments, industrial partnerships, technology transfer, and job creation.

The former Anambra State governor compared Nigeria’s recent foreign engagements with what he described as the approach taken during former United States President Donald Trump’s reported visit to China, which he said included leading American business executives and resulted in multi-billion-dollar trade agreements.

Obi listed several high-profile executives allegedly included in the U.S. delegation, among them Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia.

According to Obi, serious nations align diplomacy with economic expansion, industrial growth, innovation, and national productivity.

“I hope that lessons can be learned from these recent visits comparing them with the President of Nigeria’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom,” Obi wrote.

He questioned the outcome of the Nigerian delegation’s trip, asking what investments, manufacturing agreements, technology partnerships, or employment opportunities were secured for Nigerians.

Obi also criticised the size of the delegation, which he claimed included the president, the First Lady, 12 governors, nine ministers, members of the National Assembly, senior State House staff, security personnel, domestic staff, and political associates.

“It is not enough to ride horses, wear matching uniforms, attend royal banquets, and release glossy photographs. Symbolism without substance cannot feed hungry citizens,” he stated.

The Labour Party chieftain said Nigeria was currently facing worsening insecurity, unemployment, food inflation, declining industrial productivity, and a weakened naira, adding that every public expense on foreign trips must translate into measurable national benefits.

He called for leadership focused “less on optics and more on productivity; less on ceremony and more on measurable economic results.”

Obi concluded the statement with his popular campaign slogan, “A New Nigeria is Possible.”