Obasanjo: Nigeria Should Not Experience Poverty

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo stated that Nigeria has no business with poverty, citing the country's vast natural resources, agricultural potential, and human capital as sufficient for a prosperous economy. In an interview on C-Suite Café, dated September 10, he highlighted Nigeria's millions of hectares of arable land, favorable climatic conditions, and abundant water resources that could support food production and large-scale agricultural exports.

Obasanjo pointed out the underutilization of Nigeria's human capital, including the entrepreneurial and intellectual capacity of Nigerians both domestically and in the diaspora. He also mentioned solid minerals, alongside crude oil and natural gas, as resources that could diversify Nigeria's revenue sources.

Obasanjo attributed economic challenges to policy inconsistency, public borrowing, corruption, crude oil theft, and revenue leakages. He asserted that addressing poverty requires political will, continuity in policies related to food security, and fiscal accountability at all government levels, emphasizing that proper resource management could lead to long-term development.