The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on Wednesday unveiled what he described as his vision for a “productive and prosperous Nigeria.”
He promised sweeping reforms aimed at transforming the country’s economy from a consumption-driven system to one anchored on production, industrialisation and human capital development.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Obi said his administration would prioritise education, healthcare, technical skills development and national unity, insisting that Nigeria could only achieve sustainable growth by investing heavily in its people and tackling the country’s widening skills gap.
The former Anambra State governor said that having pledged to place Nigeria on the path of unity and national transformation when he declared his presidential ambition, he would, in the coming weeks and months, unveil a comprehensive roadmap designed to curb abuse in government, reverse the declining quality of life and deliver peace, sustained progress and prosperity.
According to him, the proposed agenda is built on the principles of unity, inclusion, social justice, equity and the freedom of every Nigerian to pursue lawful aspirations.
Obi identified education and healthcare as the foundation of national development, describing human capital as the country’s most important infrastructure and warning that Nigeria would be unable to harness the potential of its youthful population without urgent reforms in both sectors.
He disclosed that one of the first actions of his administration would be the establishment of a national task force to drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children while expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to support industrialisation driven by agriculture and value addition.
The NDC candidate said his government would fund and modernise technical institutions through partnerships involving government, the private sector and faith-based educational organisations, while promoting apprenticeship programmes modelled after Germany’s dual education system.
Obi argued that Nigeria’s paradox of rising unemployment alongside the migration of entrepreneurs abroad due to a shortage of skilled workers must be addressed urgently, saying the country must deliberately transition from a consumption-based economy to a production-driven economy capable of creating jobs and expanding prosperity.
He also pledged to strengthen character and civic education to promote trust, ethical leadership and shared national values, which he described as essential ingredients for enterprise, good governance and national cohesion.
“The situation in which unemployment remains high while Nigerian entrepreneurs establish businesses elsewhere because skilled labour is scarce must be confronted decisively. Doing so is essential for the common good and for facilitating our transition from a consumption-driven economy to a production-driven one,” Obi said.
