Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom, arguing that foreign trips by national leaders must produce clear economic benefits rather than ceremonial displays and political optics.
Obi, in a lengthy statement posted on his official X account on Thursday, compared Tinubu’s UK trip with former United States President Donald Trump’s recent visit to China, which he claimed yielded multi-billion-dollar trade deals and major business agreements involving some of the world’s leading companies.
According to Obi, serious nations align diplomacy with economic expansion, industrial growth, innovation and job creation, insisting that foreign visits should be driven by measurable outcomes capable of improving citizens’ welfare.
“State visits by leaders are not tourism, and diplomacy is not a fashion parade,” Obi stated.
“Every foreign trip undertaken by a government must deliver measurable benefits to the people, including investments, technology transfer, trade agreements, factory expansion, industrial partnerships, and job creation,” he added.
The former Anambra State governor cited Trump’s reported delegation to China, which included top American business executives such as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink among others.
Obi said the visit reportedly resulted in trade agreements worth billions of dollars, including the purchase of about 200 Boeing aircraft, arguing that such outcomes demonstrate how economic diplomacy should be conducted.
“That is how serious nations approach diplomacy, by aligning foreign policy with economic expansion, industrial growth, innovation, and national productivity,” he said.
The former presidential candidate questioned the value of Tinubu’s UK visit, noting that many Nigerians were yet to see concrete economic outcomes from the trip despite the large government delegation that reportedly accompanied the President.
“A large entourage of politicians, aides, and government officials travelled, yet Nigerians are still asking a simple question: what exactly did Nigeria bring home?” Obi queried.
“Which factories are coming to Nigeria? What power, technology, manufacturing, agricultural, or industrial agreements were secured? How many direct jobs will this visit create for Nigerian youths? What investments were attracted? What measurable economic outcomes can the ordinary Nigerian point to?” he asked.
Obi further criticised what he described as excessive focus on ceremonial activities during foreign engagements, saying symbolism alone could not address the country’s worsening economic conditions.
“It is not enough to ride horses, wear matching uniforms, attend royal banquets, and release glossy photographs. Symbolism without substance cannot feed hungry citizens,” he stated.
He maintained that Nigeria was currently battling insecurity, food inflation, unemployment, a weakened naira and declining industrial productivity, stressing that every public expenditure on foreign travel must translate into direct economic opportunities for citizens.
“At a time when millions of Nigerians struggle daily to afford food and survive economic hardship, every kobo spent on foreign trips must produce tangible national value: investments, factories, jobs, exports, infrastructure, and economic opportunities,” Obi said.
The former governor concluded by calling for what he described as productivity-driven leadership focused more on economic results than public spectacle.
“Nigeria needs leadership that is focused less on optics and more on productivity; less on ceremony and more on measurable economic results,” he added.
