Peter Obi Promises to Use Agriculture to Fight Poverty in the North

(Peter Obi. Photo by Vanguard News)

Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, says he has a plan to use agriculture to fight poverty and attract voters in Northern Nigeria for the 2027 election.

Obi said if elected, his government would invest heavily in farming, education, healthcare and skills training while rebuilding industries across the North.

He dismissed the idea of bringing back fuel subsidies, saying that would not solve the region's poverty problems.

The former Anambra governor said the North has a major asset that no other part of Nigeria can claim, and that asset is agriculture.

He promised to invest in the farming sector and use the savings to support poor Nigerians by giving them access to education, healthcare and skills development.

Obi also said he would revive manufacturing industries that have shut down in Northern cities like Kano.

He noted that many factories in areas like Bompai and Sharada have closed and promised to bring manufacturing back to the region.

He argued that Northern poverty was caused by more than just the removal of fuel subsidy and that broader economic changes were needed.

He said moderating fuel prices across Nigeria would help everyone, not just the North.

On President Tinubu's administration, Obi said it had not performed well in areas like literacy, transparency and government spending.

He described the government's spending as reckless and said at times it seemed like the President was not fully in control.