“The greatest asset of this country is the North. I’ve always said it. The North can change Nigeria,” Obi said.

He emphasized that the region has untapped agricultural potential capable of generating more revenue than the oil sector. He cited rice production as an example, noting Nigeria’s output lags far behind other countries with less landmass.

“This entire country produces less than six million tonnes of rice. That’s less than 10 percent of what Bangladesh produces,” he said. “Bangladesh has just 148,600 square kilometers—about the size of Niger and Borno states combined.”

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Obi linked the high rate of poverty in the North to the worsening security crisis, warning that desperation leaves people vulnerable to recruitment by criminal elements.

He said that when people don’t know where their next meal will come from, it becomes impossible to control their actions, which is why banditry thrives, and that the responsibility to solve it rests entirely on the government.

The former Anambra State governor also called for urgent investment in education as a long-term solution to insecurity and underdevelopment. He stressed that pulling people out of poverty would help solve insecurity and emphasized the need to invest in education. He recounted sitting with Almajiri children, describing them as some of the most brilliant minds, and suggested that if these children can’t go to school, then schools should be taken to them.

Despite the country’s challenges, he expressed hope that Nigeria could be reformed with the right leadership and targeted investment, concluding that although there is a lot of work to be done, he believes Nigeria can be turned around.