His Excellency, Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi who’s one of the few vociferous voices still speaking true to power has shared his experiences after his trip to Indonesia.
Peter Obi painstakingly narrated what he saw and learnt which reaffirms his belief that Nigeria lacks the leadership she needs to make it right from learning and unlearning from countries that have made it.
He wrote below :
“Driven by my firm conviction that what is imperatively required now is to learn from and strictly apply the successful lessons that other comparable nations have used to achieve progress, as I had expressly and severally tweeted earlier this year, I embarked on my first planned trip to Indonesia.
I arrived in Indonesia on the 2nd of February and spent five days—Monday to Friday—engaging in several hours of meetings with highly placed stakeholders on various issues of development.
These discussions covered critical areas such as security, education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.
In 2004, Indonesia’s per capita income was $1,136, while Nigeria’s was $963. At that time, Indonesia’s overall development, as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI), was categorized as medium, whereas Nigeria’s was low.
By 2024, Indonesia’s per capita income has risen to approximately $5,000, while Nigeria’s remains around $1,000. Indonesia’s HDI has improved from the medium to the high category, whereas Nigeria remains in the low category. For example, using health, the number one HDI indicator, Indonesia now has 98% health insurance coverage, whereas Nigeria has less than 10%.
From Monday to Wednesday, I will take the time to share snippets from my trip. I have already noted some key insights, which align with my firm belief that learning from proven models is the panacea for sustainable growth and development.
A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO”
Developing human capital is very crucial in establishing a sustainable growth and impact. Mr. Obi, according to your post, you implied that we learn from good things and apply it in our own setting, which is exactly what every adult need to do in all areas of life.
According to Oliver Wendell Holmes, “A mind that is stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions.” However, in the application of such concepts, we must also take cognizance of the root cause of the problem paying attention to the value neglects, situations peculiar to our environment, leadership lacks, prioritization of needs, mitigation of risks, capacity, competency & retention of talented staff.
Enough rhetorics have been seen or heard daily. So what happens to actions or implementations? Mr. Obi, you are doing your part being proactive, seeking ways to solve this incessant problem. You are just one person. What of the rest of us?
I am doing my part advocating for ethical leadership through activism. As an author of a book called: Ethical Leadership In Healthcare And Other Industries, I advocate for good leadership by individuals, parents, communities, churches, and public entities. Subsequently, started a young girls mentorship program under the auspices of WADAN team, which I am the visionary leader & founder;
Leadership and integrity are intertwined, and any deviation from these principles can have severe consequences. It is rather more efficient and cost-effective to be proactive!
A New Nigeria is Possible!
Dr. Scholastica ILoghalu
-DrSC –
@ 02/15/2025