Peter Obi Slams FG’s ₦712bn Airport Renovation Amid Soaring Hunger
***Says, It’s Betrayal Not Nation Building
Former presidential candidate and Labour Party leader, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the Federal Government’s approval of a ₦712.3 billion budget for airport renovation, calling it a misplaced priority at a time when over 34 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger.
In a strongly worded statement on his X-Handle on Wednesday, Obi said the decision to invest such an enormous sum in physical infrastructure while citizens starve is a clear indictment of the government’s priorities.
“It is profoundly troubling that at a time when millions of Nigerians are battling hunger and hardship, the government chooses to spend ₦712 billion—not to feed the people or lift them out of poverty—but to renovate an airport,” Obi said.
The United Nations had issued a chilling warning in July, later published in local media on August 1, 2025, that 34 million Nigerians are facing acute food insecurity. That same day, the Federal Government unveiled the airport renovation project, sparking outrage among citizens and rights groups.
Obi questioned the timing and rationale of the expenditure, especially given that Nigeria borrowed $500 million in 2013 to upgrade five international airports. He asked: What justifies spending even more on just one airport a decade later, when the nation is in economic distress and social crisis?
“Development is about choices. Hunger, health, education and security should come before terminals and tarmacs. A government that builds grandiose infrastructure while its people starve is not building a nation — it is betraying one,” he added.
The former Anambra State Governor stressed that while infrastructure is important, it should not come at the cost of human development. He warned that food security is not just a welfare issue but a national security and economic strategy.
Obi called on the government to urgently redirect its resources to critical areas such as food security, healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation. He urged Nigerians to demand more accountability and people-centered policies from their leaders.
“Every budget is a statement of values. What message are we sending when airports take precedence over lives? We must rethink our priorities and put Nigerians first,” he declared.
Ending his statement with his signature message of hope, Obi concluded:
“A New Nigeria is POssible — if we choose to prioritise people over projects, and compassion over contracts.”