The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has unveiled an agriculture-led economic plan aimed at tackling poverty and revitalising Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi made the disclosure during an interview with Arise News on Thursday while explaining why voters in the North should support his opposition to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy.
The former Anambra State governor rejected a return to fuel subsidy, arguing that the North’s economic challenges require investment in agriculture and human development rather than continued fuel subsidies.
“If there’s one president the North will celebrate, it’s me,” Obi said, promising to address poverty in the region through what he described as transparent and non-corrupt governance.
He identified agriculture as the North’s major economic asset, pledging to invest heavily in the sector, provide support for farmers and expand access to education, healthcare and skills development for disadvantaged Nigerians.
Obi also promised to revive manufacturing activities in the region, particularly in Kano, where he noted that several industrial facilities had become inactive.
“I’ll make sure they are bringing all those manufacturing activities that we lost. Today, if you go to Kano, there are factories in Bompai, Sharada 1, Sharada 2 that are gone. I will deal with the North in such a way that they will see it,” he said.
The NDC candidate argued that the worsening poverty in Northern Nigeria could not be attributed solely to the removal of fuel subsidy, insisting that broader economic interventions were needed to improve living standards.
On the administration of President Bola Tinubu, Obi criticised its performance in areas including literacy, transparency and public spending.
He described government expenditure as reckless and questioned the level of control exercised by the President over his administration.
“I think if you ask the people, but if you ask me, they’ve not done well. They’ve been a bit reckless in what they’re doing. At times I believe it’s not in charge,” Obi said.
