“State visits are not tourism” — Peter Obi blasts Tinubu’s foreign trips, demands jobs, investments, factories for Nigerians

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Presidential aspirant Peter Obi has called for a major rethink of foreign state visits by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration, insisting that international diplomacy must deliver measurable economic benefits to Nigerians rather than ceremonial optics.

Obi, who is the Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), was reacting to President Tinubu’s recent visit to the United Kingdom and this month’s three-nation (France, Kenya, and Rwanda) visits, stating that state visits by world leaders should not be treated as tourism exercises or “fashion parades.”

According to him, every foreign trip undertaken by a government must result in concrete gains for citizens, including investments, technology transfer, trade agreements, industrial partnerships, factory expansion and job creation.

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The former Anambra State Governor referenced the recent visit of United States President Donald Trump to China, noting that the American delegation reportedly included top government officials alongside some of the biggest names in global business and technology.

Obi said the visit reportedly yielded multi-billion-dollar trade agreements, including about 200 Boeing aircraft orders.

According to him, members of the delegation reportedly included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and several other top executives from major global corporations.

Obi said serious nations approach diplomacy by aligning foreign policy with economic expansion, industrial growth, innovation and national productivity.

“I hope lessons can be learned from these recent visits when compared with the President of Nigeria’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom. A large entourage of politicians, aides and government officials travelled, yet Nigerians are still asking a simple question: what exactly did Nigeria bring home?” he said.

The former governor questioned the economic outcomes of the trip, asking what factories, investments, technology partnerships or industrial agreements were secured for Nigeria.

“Which factories are coming to Nigeria? What power, technology, manufacturing, agricultural or industrial agreements were secured? How many direct jobs will this visit create for Nigerian youths? What investments were attracted? What measurable economic outcomes can the ordinary Nigerian point to?” Obi asked.

He further listed members of the Nigerian delegation, which he claimed reportedly included President Tinubu, the First Lady, 12 governors, nine ministers, seven members of the National Assembly, over 20 senior State House staff, more than 30 security personnel, domestic staff and political associates.

“It is not enough to ride horses, wear matching uniforms, attend royal banquets and release glossy photographs. Symbolism without substance cannot feed hungry citizens,” he stated.

Obi warned that Nigeria is currently battling worsening insecurity, rising food inflation, unemployment, declining industrial productivity, a weakened naira and deepening poverty.

According to him, at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling daily to survive harsh economic conditions, every kobo spent on foreign trips must produce tangible national value in the form of investments, factories, exports, infrastructure development and economic opportunities.

“Nigeria needs leadership that is focused less on optics and more on productivity; less on ceremony and more on measurable economic results,” Obi added.