Peter Obi Visits Indonesia, Urges Nigeria to Adopt Structured Policies

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has called for structured policies and strong leadership to drive Nigeria’s development. He shared insights from his recent visit to Indonesia, where he met with top government officials.

Driven by my firm conviction that what is imperatively required now is to learn from and strictly apply the successful lessons that other comparable nations have used to achieve progress, as I had expressly and severally tweeted earlier this year, I embarked on my first planned trip to Indonesia, he shared.

Obi said he travelled to Indonesia to study how the country had achieved economic progress. He arrived on 2 February and spent five days meeting with key stakeholders. His discussions focused on security, education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.

He noted that in 2004 Indonesia’s per capita income was $1,136, while Nigeria’s was $963. By 2024, Indonesia’s income had grown to about $5,000, but Nigeria’s remained around $1,000. He also pointed out that Indonesia has achieved 98% health insurance coverage, while Nigeria has less than 10%.

Indonesia and Nigeria were at similar economic levels two decades ago,  but with structured policies and decisive leadership, they moved forward while we remained stagnant, Obi said.

During his visit, Obi met with Agung Laksono, Indonesia’s former Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Laksono explained how strong planning and disciplined execution helped transform the country. Obi also met former Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, who spoke about Indonesia’s focus on simultaneous development across all sectors. Another key meeting was with Yandri Susanto, Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions. Susanto shared how Indonesia classifies villages based on their development level and provides targeted support.

In a follow-up post,  Obi says: With a structured approach – ranging from extremely underdeveloped to self-sufficient villages – the ministry ensures targeted progress. Its leadership framework, involving municipal and traditional heads, plays a crucial role in effective governance.

Obi believes Nigeria can achieve similar progress. He said strong leadership and data-driven policies would help the country grow and ensure no region is left behind.

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