Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress in the upcoming 2027 elections, asserts that Africa possesses the necessary resources to supply food to the entire globe, provided the continent is led by effective and virtuous officials. Obi shared these reflections in a recent post on his verified X account.
His comments were prompted by his participation at the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York, where he discussed the importance of the African diaspora in fostering sustainable growth across the continent. Obi expressed concern that despite Africa’s vast natural wealth, it currently houses the highest number of impoverished individuals globally.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, he noted that out of 800 million people suffering from extreme poverty worldwide, nearly 480 million live in Africa, with Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo facing the most significant challenges. The former governor of Anambra State pointed out that roughly one-third of the continent’s population lives in such conditions.
Obi emphasized that Africa is a land of abundant prosperity, driven by both extensive mineral wealth and its substantial human population. As the second-largest continent by size and population, Africa spans over 30 million square kilometres and is home to 1.5 billion people. By utilizing the nearly one billion hectares of arable land—60% of which is currently unused—Obi believes Africa could establish itself as the agricultural leader of the world.
