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LAGOS, Nigeria - Peter Obi, the leader of Nigeria's opposition, has criticized President Bola Tinubu's government for allocating a staggering N712 billion for the refurbishment of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The former governor of Anambra is vying to succeed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. Obi's condemnation followed the Federal Executive Council's approval of the renovation as part of an initiative to modernize the airport and enhance the travel experience.
In a statement released on Wednesday, he expressed concern over the allocation, highlighting the severe hunger faced by many Nigerians.
“It is deeply concerning that at a time when millions of Nigerians are burdened by hunger, the Federal Government has approved an astonishing ₦712.3 billion—not to support its people, alleviate their suffering, or invest in their welfare, but for airport renovations,” Obi remarked.
“This prompts a critical and urgent question: What are our national priorities?”
He referenced a United Nations report from July indicating that 34 million Nigerians were at risk of hunger in August, labeling the allocation as a misdirection of priorities.
“In July this year, the UN issued a chilling warning that 34 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger.
This was also reported in national newspapers on August 1, 2025. This figure is not merely an abstract number.
It reflects real lives—our mothers, children, neighbors, and friends—who are going to bed hungry and waking up without the hope of a meal,” he added.
Criticizing Tinubu's administration for what he termed unjustified expenditure, Obi reminded that Nigeria had previously secured a $500 million loan from the China Exim Bank, along with additional funding, to upgrade five international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu.
He stated, “Let’s not forget: in 2013, Nigeria took a $500 million loan from the China Exim Bank, alongside counterpart funding, to upgrade five international airports—Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu.
If such a significant investment occurred less than ten years ago, what justifies an even greater expense today for a single airport—especially when Nigerians are starving, displaced, and in desperation?”
Obi further denounced the government for focusing on extravagant infrastructure while many remain hungry, stressing that the nation’s resources should be wisely invested in critical developmental areas.
“As a nation, our primary duty is to safeguard and provide for our citizens, ensuring they are fed, healthy, and secure.
Although infrastructure such as airports and roads is important, it cannot take precedence over hunger, health, education, and security. Food security itself constitutes an element of national security and economic strategy.
“Development is about making choices. It involves acknowledging that true national progress starts with fundamental needs: human development—not extravagant infrastructure initiatives.
A government that prioritizes grand projects while its populace starves is failing to build a nation—it is betraying one,” the presidential candidate asserted.
Nevertheless, on Monday, aviation minister Festus Keyamo remarked that the president's budget was modest compared to the investments made by other African countries on airport renovations.
