Ozoro festival outrage: Peter Obi urges investment in women for national development, not their degradation

Cityscope, Crime Diary, Politics

ABUJA, NIGERIA (NPA) — March 21, 2026 — A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and prominent opposition leader, Mr Peter Obi, has condemned the recent incident in Ozoro, Delta State, where women were reportedly molested under the guise of a traditional festival. He described the practice as retrogressive and called for Nigeria to redirect its priorities toward empowering women as a critical driver of national development.

Obi stressed that while many nations are investing in human capital, Nigeria continues to lag. He argued that women—who make up more than half of the population—should be educated, integrated into leadership, and supported in entrepreneurship, where they have consistently proven to contribute significantly to economic growth.

He cited global examples: in Indonesia, women own over 50% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which provide about 98% of jobs. In Bangladesh, women constitute about 60% of the workforce in the garment industry, the country’s largest export sector, generating nearly $50 billion annually—far exceeding Nigeria’s crude oil earnings.

In a statement on Saturday, Obi said, “Rather than emulating these nations by investing in our women and harnessing their productivity, our focus drifts toward trivialities such as the Ozoro festival. This reflects a profound misplacement of values. Greater effort should be directed toward meaningful development, including policies and initiatives that empower women and integrate them into the economic mainstream.”

He urged a redirection of national priorities, emphasising that investing in women and harnessing their potential in critical sectors would help rebuild Nigeria on a foundation of productivity and inclusion, transforming it from “a disgraced country into one of pride.”