Watch: Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi on his plans to transform Nigeria’s economy.
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Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi outlines his plans to transform the African country’s economy and create jobs and hope
By Agence France-Presse
CAIRO (AFP) – Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi, a millionaire businessman, has outlined what he called “radical” plans to transform the economy and create jobs and hope for Nigeria’s desperate youth.
“I will bring back Africa – Africa’s growth must become Africa’s wealth,” said the former head of the private firm Unipic, who is seeking to replace former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, who has been on a state visit to China.
Obi, a former banker and businessman, was the first to throw his hat into the US presidential race this year, challenging Hillary Clinton to become the Democratic candidate.
The 62-year-old who was born in Ibadan and raised in Lagos, is best known for his stake in Unipic, the holding company he controls that was the largest African company on the stock market until the past year.
But his foray into politics has been anything but easy.
He is running on a platform that stresses the need to create jobs and opportunities for the unemployed youths, in a country where the youth unemployment rate stands at 30 per cent.
He has also promised to make the country “economically self-sustainable” and protect its natural resources.
“For Nigeria I have three options: I can turn it into a failed state or a developed state or a developed state that has jobs,” Obi said.
“In my opinion there is no third option. We have either failed or we have succeeded.”
He made his first bid for power last year and was defeated by General Buhari, the former military ruler who is running for a second term.
“I won’t be the Buhari (of
