ABUJA — The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has temporarily suspended his public engagements after falling ill during a tourism event in Enugu on Friday.
In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, the former Anambra State governor said he was acting on medical advice to take a short rest over the weekend.
“I am complying with my doctor’s advice and will be taking a short rest, during which I will not be able to meet up with scheduled engagements within and outside Nigeria,” Obi wrote.
Obi resumed public activities on Monday, beginning with a visit to a small and medium enterprise (SME) owned by a Nigerian entrepreneur he had previously encountered.
Expressing gratitude to supporters who wished him well, Obi described the SME, MDH, as “a living proof of how Nigerian creativity, heritage, and enterprise can resonate on the global stage.”
He said the commitment of workers at the factory underscored his long-standing call for Nigeria to transition “from consumption to production” by supporting SMEs.
Citing Bangladesh’s thriving textile industry, which generates over $50 billion annually and accounts for more than 70 percent of the country’s exports, Obi lamented the collapse of Nigeria’s once-vibrant textile sector.
“Our textile sector has regrettably collapsed and now contributes very little to the national economy. This shows how much untapped potential lies within our borders,” he said.
He reiterated that SMEs remain the backbone of any economy and can drive job creation, poverty reduction, and position Nigeria as a global hub of trade and creativity.
