Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has expressed his support for nurses and other professionals seeking better opportunities abroad.
According to Obi, trained medical personnel should not be discouraged from travelling for greener pastures.
Speaking at an event where he donated N20 million to St. Charles Borromeo College of Nursing and Midwifery in Onitsha and N50 million to Shanahan University, Obi reiterated the importance of education and healthcare as crucial investments for the future.
Obi rejected the notion of “brain drain,” noting that Nigeria’s population of over 200 million provides ample human resources.
He advocated for training more professionals and suggested that remittances from the diaspora could serve as a form of revenue for the country.
He told students that investing in their education and profession would ensure their success, as nursing and midwifery skills are in high demand worldwide.
He also stressed the need to create opportunities for Nigerians, whether they choose to stay or go abroad.
His words: “We have 200 million people, let us educate them. Let those who want go out to go and those who want to stay should stay. Diaspora remittance is also a form of revenue generation.
“If you see me going round trying to donate, it is not anything but because we want to make life better for you all. I came here so I can donate to you.
“My children will not attend that university (Shanahan University), and I can sit down and use the money to add more chieftaincy to my name, but that is not be how to develop the future.
“I will be in college of nursing Anyingba tomorrow, they need my assistance to get accreditation and I will be there to support them, so that they can get.”
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
