Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has strongly criticized Peter Obi over comments he made about Nigeria during a lecture at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
In a personally signed statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of not only disparaging Nigeria abroad but also contributing to the very poverty he now speaks against. He alleged that during Obi’s tenure as Governor of Anambra State, poverty levels worsened significantly.
During his speech at Johns Hopkins, Obi compared Nigeria with China and Vietnam, noting that in 1990, Nigeria had fewer people living in poverty than either of those countries. He lamented that while China and Vietnam had since achieved significant growth and poverty reduction through competent and compassionate leadership, Nigeria had regressed.
Obi said, “The question then is: what exactly did these countries do to achieve the growth and development they now enjoy? The answer lies in political leadership — leadership that prioritised education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.”
Reacting, Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of “denigrating” Nigeria on an international platform, a move he described as unpatriotic.
“On Thursday, April 24, 2025, former Governor Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, made several disparaging comments about Nigeria while speaking at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
“He made unflattering remarks not just about the Nigerian government, but about the country itself. Prominent Nigerians traveling abroad owe it to their nation to project a positive image. True patriotism demands that we market, not de-market, our country on the global stage.”
Focusing on Obi’s criticism of poverty in Nigeria, Sanwo-Olu argued that Obi was ill-suited to comment on the issue, claiming that during his eight-year governorship, Obi failed to build any new schools or stand-alone hospitals or to provide sustainable credit facilities.
“It is ironic that Mr. Obi, who did little to fight poverty during his tenure, now criticizes a government that is making tangible efforts,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“President Bola Tinubu — my predecessor in Lagos and now President — built over 200 schools and provided student loans to more than 200,000 undergraduates. His administration has also made over half a billion dollars in credit facilities available to small and medium-sized businesses in less than two years.”
Sanwo-Olu added that Tinubu’s legacy of poverty reduction in Lagos between 1999 and 2007, where poverty was cut by more than 46%, offers assurance that he can replicate similar results at the national level.
“The best predictor of the future is the past,” he noted.
The Lagos Governor further pointed to statistics to bolster his argument:
“Under Peter Obi’s leadership in Anambra, the poverty rate rose from 41.4% in 2007 to 53.7% two years later. By contrast, his successor, Willie Obiano, significantly reduced the poverty rate to 14.8% during his tenure.”
Sanwo-Olu concluded by questioning Obi’s moral authority:
“Given these facts, Mr. Obi is hardly in a position to lecture anyone about poverty. His tenure worsened poverty in Anambra, while President Tinubu’s record shows he lifted millions out of it. In light of this, one must ask: who truly has the right to criticize whom?”
