The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned the corruption in Nigeria.
He described the country as a relentless scene of corruption and called for urgent action to end fiscal mismanagement.
Obi made these remarks on his X page following recent revelations by BudgIT, which uncovered ₦7 trillion worth of questionable projects inserted into the 2025 national budget.
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He expressed his belief that this figure represents only a fraction of the actual amount misappropriated.
He emphasised that entrenched corruption, which is both persistent and deeply rooted, must be stopped if Nigeria is to experience any meaningful progress.
Obi insisted that the country has effectively become a crime scene due to these corrupt practices.
Obi said the ₦7 trillion flagged as fraudulently inserted into the budget is greater than the combined allocations to four ministries that are fundamental to national development.
They are the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
He stated that the Ministry of Education was allocated ₦3.52 trillion, the Ministry of Health received ₦2.48 trillion, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation was allocated ₦260 billion, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security received ₦636.08 billion.
According to him, the ministries were allocated ₦6.896 trillion, which he described as already inflated, but less than the ₦7 trillion inserted dubiously into the budget.
Furthermore, Obi noted that the ₦7 trillion figure exceeds the ₦6.1 trillion allocated to national security, despite Nigeria being one of the most terrorised countries in the world.
He stated that the unnecessary inputting of dubious projects prevents adequate investment in education, resulting in nearly 20 million out-of-school children.
He added that the same corruption has crippled primary healthcare, leading to alarming rates of child malnutrition.
Obi also pointed to widespread hunger in the country and blamed persistent mismanagement and lack of accountability for the neglect of agricultural investment.
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According to him, corruption has similarly hindered proper funding for national security and support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which are vital for Nigeria’s economic growth.
Obi urged Nigerians to confront corruption, misappropriation, and fiscal recklessness with unwavering determination.
He called for national resources to be transparently managed and strategically invested in key sectors such as health, education, and poverty alleviation to secure a better future for the people.
