According to a report by News Central TV on July 31, 2025, former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called for a national paradigm shift in how Nigeria recognizes and honors its achievers, insisting that more should be done to celebrate entrepreneurial legends who have contributed significantly to the country’s development.
Speaking at the launch of the biography Chronicles of a Legend from 1:31, written in honor of business mogul and education advocate, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Obi expressed disappointment at the absence of key representatives from the federal government.
“We live in a country that doesn’t celebrate those who are supposed to be celebrated,” Obi said. “If we do, the celebration would have been more. Who is representing Ministry of Education here? He built the first university. Who is representing Ministry of Transport? He did the first airline. He was among the first three to be given banking licenses. Private banking license, I’m in that industry. So I know when they built banking industry,” he added.
Highlighting Igbinedion’s immense contributions to education and employment, Obi said, “He did a lot in education, employing people—17,000 people. Nigeria today, if we had been a country that is productive, over 120 million people would have been employed. That means one person is employing 17,000. So we need about 8,000 industries to be able to do that. But we have about 1,000 functional industries. That’s why we have unemployment.”
Obi further challenged the current criteria for awarding national honors: “He needs more than this celebration and I agree with SGF I know you’re going to do more. But now that we have an opportunity, we have to change the way we honor people. The GCFR and GCON should be people who are entrepreneurial and productive, not us, the politicians. If they like, they can remove our own and give them, so that the country can produce and be able to employ people.”
Reiterating his support for the Igbinedion legacy, Obi pledged a decade-long commitment to the endowment fund: “Igbinedion deserves more, not just national honor, all the support government can give him. And that’s what we need to be celebrating. So that more people can go into entrepreneurship, support education, support what he did. That is a great work, and I’m sure you will do your own to be able to advise accordingly. In the next few days, maybe, yes, we’ll be hearing things different. I thank you. You won’t look for me when you talk about education.”
Obi concluded with a personal promise: “The rest are sure that from today, endowment is not paid in one day. Endowment continues. And I assure you that annually, the endowment fund will see Mr. Peter Obi’s little contribution. At least for the next 10 years, as long as I live. Because what he did is a great thing. Because of him, today, in my village, in every village in Nigeria, if you have a means of solving transport, it’s called Okada. What more do we need? He deserves more than we are celebrating here. Let us celebrate him. May God continue to bless your family. Bless all of us that are gathered here. Thank you.”
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