By Jude Michael
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has reaffirmed his commitment to educational development. Obi disclosed this during a visit to Tansian University, Anambra State, November 13, where he donated an additional ₦10 million to support the institution.
Obi, who was warmly received by the university community, was hosted by Fr. Prof. Bonaventure Anaeto, representing the Vice-Chancellor. Anaeto commended the former Anambra State Governor for his sustained relationship with the institution, recalling his earlier contribution of ₦100 million and other interventions, including support for the establishment of the School of Nursing.
Obi expressed satisfaction that the School of Nursing, which he helped set up, had now been accredited as an official examination centre of the Nursing Council. He also acknowledged new requests presented by the institution towards improving both academic and spiritual formation, assuring the Management of his continued assistance.
Addressing the students, Obi emphasised the centrality of education, critical thinking, and civic responsibility in nation-building. He urged them to remain committed to Nigeria’s progress despite recent derogatory remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who described Nigeria as “disgraced.” Obi encouraged the students not to echo such sentiments but to interrogate the actions of those in power.
He lamented Nigeria’s rising debt profile and the lack of transparency surrounding major borrowings, particularly Eurobonds, noting that many of those obligations would mature long after the present leaders had left the scene. He warned that the burden of repayment would fall on the younger generation, who, he said, were often unaware of the implications.
Obi reiterated that true leadership was measured by investments in people, not by vote-buying. He cited an example of a friend in London who received medical attention from nurses trained in schools he supported in Anambra, describing such outcomes as the true measure of impactful leadership.
The former Anambra Governor also highlighted his recent visits to several institutions across Anambra and neighbouring states, including schools in Amichi, Nnewi, Adazi-Nnukwu, Agulu, Ogidi, Oji River, Ihiala, Enugu, and Ibadan. He described being moved by the condition of the Practicing School in Agulu, where, he said, pupils were learning under makeshift shelters following a fire incident. He pledged that reconstruction work would commence in January 2026, affirming that such progress would be impossible in a system where resources were channelled into vote-buying.
Obi concluded by urging the students to embrace truth, discipline, and sacrifice while committing themselves to rebuilding the nation. He stressed that Nigeria was not disgraced by external criticisms but by internal failure to invest in education and human capital. The country’s true wealth, he noted, lay in its youth and their capacity to drive meaningful change.
