***A Vision for a Nigeria Where Every Life Counts
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential Election has delivered an indictment of Nigeria’s crumbling healthcare system and a visionary plea to refocus national priorities.
He spoke at the heart of the Eko Hotel’s grand ballroom during the “Beyond Borders – Uniting for Medical Excellence” summit on the invitation of ANAP Doctors in North America and the University of Nigeria Alumni.
Backed by chilling statistics and burning sincerity, his words shook the room—and perhaps, the country.
Writing on his X-Handle on Sunday, he said,
“We can’t build a great nation on broken bodies,” Obi declared. “The real foundation of any economy is the wellbeing of its people.”
The event, titled “Beyond Borders – Uniting for Medical Excellence”, brought together members of ANAP Doctors in North America, the University of Nigeria Alumni, and a hall full of professionals passionate about changing the story of Nigerian healthcare.
But it was Obi’s keynote that ignited the room—and possibly, a national conversation.
“We count our progress in roads and bridges. But the real measure of growth is not in concrete. It is in care. It is in health,” Obi declared, his voice steady, his words sharp.
With rare moral clarity, he cut through the politics and platitudes, reminding Nigerians that no nation moves forward when its people are too sick, too poor, or too uneducated to stand.
Obi laid out stark truths: 70% of Nigeria’s primary healthcare centres are non-functional, and the country has barely achieved 10% of the global doctor-to-population ratio. By contrast, India—once a peer in development struggles—has surged ahead, meeting 80% of the standard while building new medical colleges at pace.
He turned the spotlight on South Africa, which with just 63 million people, has allocated a single-year healthcare budget more than double Nigeria’s entire five-year spending. “We are a giant only in name,” he lamented. “Because real strength is not in slogans. It is in systems that save lives.”
But Obi didn’t just diagnose the problem. He demanded accountability.
“Over $11 billion borrowed from the World Bank since 2023. And yet our hospitals bleed. Our children die. Our doctors flee. Tell me—where did the money go?”
The crowd responded with a heavy silence—one that spoke louder than applause.
He called for a radical redirection of borrowed funds and national budgets toward healthcare, education, and poverty reduction. “Until we make the wellbeing of Nigerians our top priority, we are building a house on sinking sand,” he warned.
Yet, amidst the grim statistics, Obi found light: a $1 million fundraising campaign by UNCOMMA, led by alumni committed to giving back.
He praised them not just for their generosity, but for their example.
“This is more than a donation. This is a declaration—that Nigerians abroad still believe in Nigeria. That hope is not lost. That the next chapter can be written by our own hands.”
In the end, Peter Obi did not leave the stage with applause, he left with a challenge.
To the doctors, to the alumni, to the nation.
“Let us build a healthier Nigeria. Let us build beyond borders—not with bricks, but with compassion, courage, and care. Because every healed life is a victory. Every saved child is a legacy. And every trained doctor is a step closer to the country we dream of.”
The room rose to its feet—not just in honour of his words, but in shared resolve. A movement had begun.