The Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has said Nigeria ought to have at least 8,000 functional industries if it were a truly productive country.
Obi made the remark on Thursday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja during the launch of a book in honour of the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, where he also called for greater recognition of the Esama’s contributions to national development in sectors such as education, transport, and banking.
The former Anambra State governor praised Igbinedion’s job creation efforts, revealing that the Esama once employed over 17,000 people.
“If Nigeria were a productive country, over 120 million people would be employed today. That would mean we need at least 8,000 industries like the one he built. But currently, we have only about 1,000 functional industries. That’s why we’re facing massive unemployment,” he said.
He also highlighted Chief Igbinedion’s pioneering role in the private sector, noting that he was among the first three Nigerians to be issued a private banking licence. “I was part of the industry, so I know how the banking industry was built,” Obi added.
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Obi further questioned the absence of key government representatives at the event, asking pointedly, “Who is representing the Ministry of Education? He built the first university. Who is representing the Ministry of Transport? He started the first airline.”
“We live in a country that doesn’t celebrate those who should be celebrated,” Obi said. “If we did, today’s event would have been even more grand.”
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