By Deborah Nnamdi
Labour Party leader and former presidential candidate Peter Obi has sharply criticised the Federal Government’s decision to allocate N712.3 billion for the renovation of airports, calling it a deeply misplaced priority at a time when over 34 million Nigerians face severe hunger.
In a statement posted Wednesday on his official X handle, Obi condemned the timing and scale of the project, arguing that the government’s focus on infrastructure over urgent human needs reveals a fundamental failure in leadership.
“It is profoundly troubling that at a time when millions of Nigerians are battling hunger and hardship, the government chooses to spend N712 billion—not to feed the people or lift them out of poverty—but to renovate an airport,” Obi said.
His remarks came just hours after the government unveiled the airport upgrade plan—the same day a United Nations report, cited by local media on August 1, warned that over 34 million Nigerians are at risk of acute food insecurity.
Obi also questioned the logic behind the budget, noting that Nigeria had borrowed $500 million in 2013 to refurbish five international airports. He asked why the government is now spending even more on a single airport, especially when the country is grappling with economic and social crises.
“What justifies spending even more on just one airport a decade later, when the nation is in economic distress and social crisis?” he asked.
The former Anambra State governor stressed that while infrastructure is essential, it should never come at the expense of human development. He argued that food security is not merely a social welfare issue but a matter of national security and economic stability.
“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.
Obi called on the government to urgently redirect public resources toward critical sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and poverty reduction. He also urged citizens to hold leaders accountable and demand people-focused governance.
“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 said.
Concluding with his familiar message of optimism, Obi reiterated his vision for a better future:
“A New Nigeria is POssible — if we choose to prioritise people over projects, and compassion over contracts.”
