Dare Babalola
Former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has called on the European Parliament to strengthen its relationship with Africa, particularly Nigeria, emphasising the continent’s vast potential and strategic importance in global development.
Obi made this appeal on Tuesday during a series of high-level meetings with members of various European Parliament committees, including Foreign Affairs, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Africa-EU Delegation, Transport, Tourism, and Development.
In his discussions, Obi, in a post he made via X on Wednesday, highlighted Africa’s immense potential – being the second-largest continent in landmass and population, rich in natural resources, and boasting a youthful demographic – but lamented that it remains synonymous with global poverty due to pervasive bad leadership and corruption, a situation he said is starkly evident in Nigeria.
Obi urged European lawmakers to support Africa’s development, specifically Nigeria, by promoting good governance.
This, he explained, involves backing democratic processes that foster competent leaders with integrity to drive transformative change in their nations.
He pinpointed key areas needing EU support: tackling insecurity, boosting power generation and distribution, enhancing education and healthcare, and poverty alleviation – stressing that Nigeria and Africa’s progress directly benefits Europe.
A significant focus of Obi’s message was on Nigerian youths, whom he described as driven by entrepreneurial spirit but stifled by limited opportunities.
“We must invest in and support these youths – their productivity can transform our economy and contribute meaningfully to global development,” he emphasised.
Concluding on an optimistic note, Obi asserted, “Africa and indeed Nigeria can and must work for all and contribute to global developments”.
The meetings reflect ongoing efforts to deepen EU-Africa ties amid global geopolitical shifts, as both regions navigate issues of trade, security, migration, and resource management.
