Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for a review of how Nigeria awards its highest national honours, saying they should go to productive citizens rather than politicians.
Speaking in Abuja at the launch of The Chronicles of a Legend, a biography of businessman Gabriel Igbinedion, Obi said titles like GCFR and GCON should recognise “entrepreneurs and productive people, not politicians.”
He lauded Igbinedion’s contributions towards education, aviation, and job creation, noting, “If we had been a productive country, over 20 million Nigerians would have been employed because Igbinedion alone employed over 17,000 Nigerians.”
Obi added that Nigeria often celebrates the wrong people and urged the government to honour those driving economic growth and national development.
His comments come amid public debate over recent national awards given to politicians and sports figures, with many Nigerians calling for greater recognition of contributors in education, health, and security.
