A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has called on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to stop demarketing Nigeria, especially when speaking at international events.
Sowunmi made the call while reacting to a post by Obi on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. In the post, Obi compared Nigeria’s economic progress to that of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam during a visit to Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
According to Obi, in 1990, when the Human Development Index (HDI) measurements began, Nigeria, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia were all in the medium category. However, while the other three countries have since moved into the high category, Obi said Nigeria has slipped into the low category by 2025.
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Not happy with Obi’s remarks, Sowunmi argued that Obi’s comparisons were misleading and unfair. He insisted that the data used could not accurately measure Nigeria’s informal economy, which plays a huge role in the country’s overall economic activities.
“With due respect, @PeterObi, these measurements are faulty,” Sowunmi wrote on X. “They are extremely skewed because those who gather these figures do not account for Nigeria’s vibrant informal sector.”
He went on to warn Obi against painting Nigeria in a bad light internationally. Sowunmi stressed that any leader who wants to govern Nigeria must protect the country’s image, not damage it. He urged Obi to stop demarketing Nigeria and instead challenge the international community on their unfair economic policies and practices that harm African nations.
“No one who wishes to lead Nigeria should be the loudest critic of the country on global stages,” Sowunmi added. “It’s important to stop demarketing Nigeria and start promoting its strengths, even while acknowledging the areas that need improvement.”
