Peter Obi visits South Africa says Africa must focus on productivity

The 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on African nations to shift from political contests to productivity and development.

Obi stated that the continent has no justification for continued poverty despite its vast resources.

Speaking yesterday as a guest at the Spier Dialogue Event on “Policies for Growth in Africa” in Cape Town, Obi delivered an address after earlier morning meetings with South African officials.

He urged African leaders to harness the continent’s natural and human assets for economic transformation rather than perpetuating cycles of underdevelopment.

“Africa has no reason to remain poor. Our continent is blessed with enormous natural and human resources. Africa holds huge mineral reserves, possesses over 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, and has the youngest population globally.

“These are not liabilities; they are strategic assets for economic transformation,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor also noted that Africa continues to lag behind despite these advantages, attributing the gap primarily to poor leadership, corruption, weak institutions, and the high cost of governance.

He called a fundamental shift in priorities. “Africa must now look ahead and move forward with decisive action. We must shift our focus from politics and endless election cycles to productivity, development, and nation-building,” he said.

In addition, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain emphasised the need for aggressive investment in Human Development Index (HDI) indicators, particularly education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.

He painted a sobering picture of current realities across much of the continent, including low life expectancy, high infant mortality rates, widespread unemployment, and deepening poverty.

Obi noted that small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), often described as the engine of growth, are struggling to survive amid harsh economic conditions, poor infrastructure, and inconsistent policies.

“What Africa needs is competent leadership with the capacity, compassion, and commitment to prioritise production over consumption, and development over politics.

“If we invest in our people, strengthen institutions, reduce the cost of governance, combat corruption, and create an environment where businesses can thrive, we can build a more productive, secure, democratic, and prosperous Africa that works for all its people,” Obi added.