Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, has joined the chorus of disapproval against Nigeria’s extravagant representation at COP28 in Dubai, echoing sentiments that the massive delegation of over 1400 members is an unnecessary display in the face of Nigeria’s dire economic challenges.
Like China, Nigeria graced the event with 1,411 delegates, ranking below only two other nations; the UAE – 4,409 delegates, and Brazil – 3,081.
In a sarcastic critique he posted on X on Sunday, the former Anambra governor labeled the trip as a “showmanship” and urged Nigerian governments to cease squandering resources, particularly when a significant portion of the population struggles to afford basic necessities.
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“In a twist of sad irony, let me congratulate the giant of Africa, Nigeria, for matching the great China, with the same number of contingents at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,” he said.
He highlighted the irony of Nigeria matching China’s delegation size at COP28 despite vast disparities in their budgets.
China’s $4 trillion budget for 2024 allows for a per capita spend of $2,860, while Nigeria’s $33 billion budget translates to a mere $165 per head. According to him, this discrepancy mirrors the stark differences in their Human Development Index (HDI) rankings, with China at 79 and Nigeria lagging far behind at 163, despite China having a significantly larger population.
Obi emphasized the concerning composition of Nigeria’s delegation, predominantly comprising irrelevant civil servants or acquaintances of high-ranking officials with little understanding or involvement in climate change matters.
He said: “This huge contingent is out at public expense at a time when most Nigerians can hardly afford food and basic needs as a result of economic hardship.
“I pray earnestly that a day will come soon enough when we can focus on competing with China on productivity and the miracle of migrating the highest number of its citizens out of poverty over a relatively short time.”
Expressing hope for a future where Nigeria competes with China in productivity and poverty alleviation, Obi stressed the urgent need to dismantle the tradition of wasteful government practices.
“As we have kept emphasizing, we must stop waste as a tradition of our government and nation. We urgently need to cut the cost of governance and invest in production,” he said.
He urged a shift in focus toward reducing governance costs and redirecting resources into production, advocating for a more purpose-driven and prudent approach to government expenditure.
“We need to de-emphasize unnecessary ceremony and showmanship as a mode of government behaviour. We need to tie spending to necessity and national Priority. A New Nigeria is possible. We only need to do the reasonable and the necessary,” he said.
In response to the backlash, the Nigerian government said in a statement that the summit is “not a jamboree, as it is mischievously represented on social media.” The government clarified that the expenses for every participant’s trip, including UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu and BUA Group Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu, “are not funded by the Federal Government.” Despite this clarification, Nigerians align with Obi’s viewpoint that the event does not warrant such a substantial allocation of taxpayers’ money, asking the government to provide a list of the people it sponsored.
Ultimately, Obi’s message resonates with the possibility of a renewed Nigeria achieved through rational and necessary actions.