Peter Obi and Bola Tinubu
Former Anambra State Government and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi has once again raised a strong voice of concern over what he describes as an unfair and imbalanced style of national development under the Tinubu-led government.
Reacting to the Federal Government’s approval of $1 billion (₦1.5 trillion) for the upgrade of the Apapa and TinCan Island Ports in Lagos, Obi said the move is yet another painful reminder that Nigeria is being built for a few, while others are left behind.
In an emotionally charged statement titled “The Imperative of Diversifying Port Development in Nigeria,” Obi questioned why a country blessed with multiple coastal states and strategic waterways would continue concentrating almost all port development in just one city.
According to him, this kind of leadership thinking is what is holding Nigeria down, fueling regional imbalance, deepening poverty, and slowing national progress.
Obi stressed that Nigeria has other viable ports in Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne—ports that, if developed, would open new economic gateways, create opportunities for millions of Nigerians, revive industries, and spark prosperity across the nation.
He passionately reminded the government that serious nations do not build prosperity in one corner while others suffer. Countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Ghana strategically developed multiple ports and reaped the benefits of balanced growth. Why should Nigeria be different?
Obi lamented that keeping over 70% of port activities in Lagos is hurting both Lagos and Nigeria as a whole—leading to unbearable congestion, outrageous demurrage costs, pollution, delays, and soaring prices of goods for ordinary Nigerians.
He described decentralising port development as more than just an infrastructure project—it is a national justice issue.
To him, developing ports outside Lagos is a moral and economic necessity that will create jobs, reduce cost of goods, attract foreign investors, and give every region a fair share of economic progress.
Obi further appealed to the Federal Government to not only invest in physical expansion but also confront the corruption, bureaucracy, and outdated systems that have crippled Nigeria’s port operations for decades. Embracing technology and a transparent, paperless system, he said, is the only way to make the ports globally competitive.
While he agrees that modernising Lagos ports can be a good step, Obi warned that if it becomes another “Lagos-only project”, then Nigeria will remain stuck in a cycle of uneven development.
He ended with a powerful call for fairness and national unity: “Now more than ever, Nigeria must rebuild with fairness, guided by equity, integrity, and a clear vision to transform our nation from consumption to production and shared prosperity.”
