Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised recent foreign trips by Nigerian leaders, insisting that such engagements must deliver measurable economic returns for citizens.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Obi argued that diplomacy should not be reduced to ceremonial displays, and that every international trip by government officials must result in tangible outcomes such as investments, technology transfer, trade agreements, and job creation.
He pointed to a past visit by former United States President Donald Trump to China as an example of how strategic diplomacy can produce large-scale economic deals, including multibillion-dollar trade agreements and aircraft orders.
Turning to President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom, Obi said Nigerians have yet to see clear benefits from the trip.
He questioned which factories or industrial agreements had been secured, and how many jobs would be created for the country’s youth.
Obi also raised concerns over the size of the Nigerian delegation, which he listed as including the President, the First Lady, 12 governors, nine ministers, seven members of the National Assembly, and dozens of security and support staff.
He stated that symbolic gestures such as riding horses, wearing matching uniforms, and attending royal banquets are not enough when millions of Nigerians are struggling with economic hardship.
Obi stressed that with rising insecurity, unemployment, inflation, and poverty, every public fund spent on foreign travel must produce real value for the nation. He called for leadership focused on productivity rather than ceremony.
