By Obinna Uballa
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has told global investors that Nigeria will emerge as Africa’s leading investment destination by 2050, if the country embraces disciplined leadership and strategic economic reforms.
Writing via his social media handles on Tuesday, Obi said he spoke on Monday at the 4th Africa Day event organised by the Club des Entrepreneurs Monégasques en Afrique (CEMA) in Monaco.
Obi urged international businesses to position Nigeria at the centre of their Africa strategies, arguing that the nation remains the continent’s most compelling frontier market.
Obi described Africa as “the continent of tomorrow,” anchored by abundant natural resources and a youthful population that will shape global competitiveness in the coming decades. With 60 percent of Africans below the age of 30, he said the continent has “the human engine” to drive innovation, production, and long-term growth.
He projected that Nigeria’s population will surge to around 320 million by 2050, with roughly 200 million people within productive age. Under the right leadership – defined by capacity, compassion, character, and commitment – Obi said the country could unlock unprecedented economic expansion.
According to him, Nigeria must urgently cut waste, curb corruption, and invest heavily in security, health, education, and poverty reduction. If pursued with discipline, these priorities could help Nigeria grow into a $2 trillion economy between 2030 and 2050, with per capita income rising to about $7,000.
Obi added that sustaining such reforms could enable Nigeria to meet Goldman Sachs’ projection of a $13 trillion GDP and a per capita income of $30,000 by 2075.
He encouraged investors at the Monaco forum to seize the “immense opportunities ahead,” noting that Nigeria is positioned to serve as a gateway into Africa’s broader market.
“I reassured them of a new Nigeria that is possible, and a new Africa that is possible,” Obi said, expressing confidence that visionary governance and economic discipline could make Nigeria one of the world’s major growth hubs.
