WORLD FOOD DAY: HUNGER IN NIGERIA, NOW A NATIONAL EMERGENCY Yesterday, as the world marked International Rural Women’s Day, I joined Nigerian rural women who produce the food that sustains our population. What became clear to me is that hunger in the country must be declared a national emergency. Today, as the world marks World Food Day, Nigerians are confronting a painful reality: hunger, poverty, and insecurity continue to affect millions of families across the country. Nigeria is now one of the hungriest countries in the world, ranking 117th out of 125, down from 109th out of 125 in 2023, when the current administration came into office. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that about 36 million Nigerians will face acute hunger this year. The tragedy is even more painful because Nigeria has vast, arable, and fertile land. Yet about 60% remains uncultivated, providing forest hideouts for terrorist organisations and other non-state actors. On World Food Day, the message is clear: Nigerians deserve a country where no family goes to bed hungry, farmers can work without fear, and poverty and insecurity are confronted with urgency and compassion. The fight against hunger must be treated as a national emergency. Under our leadership, we will secure the country and return our hardworking farmers to their farms. They will receive targeted grants, subsidies, and other forms of support. Together, we can build a Nigeria where no one goes to bed hungry and every farmer can work in peace and dignity. A New Nigeria is POssible. Nigeria will be OK. -PO

World Poverty Day: Why Nigeria Should Have Declared Today a Public Holiday Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Sadly, Nigeria has become a symbol of the global poverty crisis. The rising poverty rate, from 40.1 per cent in 2019 to 56.2 per cent in 2023 and an estimated 63 per cent in 2026, shows how a country can move progressively backwards while those in authority appear unconcerned. Millions of Nigerians are now struggling to live, to afford food, and access healthcare. Yet, government narratives often paint a different picture. What meaning does economic growth have when citizens are getting poorer, hungrier, and more insecure? Progress must be measured by improvements in people’s lives. As poverty deepens, the government should genuinely show concern. Perhaps today should have been declared a public holiday, not for celebration, but for national reflection on how a country so richly endowed with human and natural resources has allowed poverty to overcome it. Poverty is not Nigeria’s destiny. With competent leadership, prudent management of public resources, investment in education and healthcare, and support for agriculture and small businesses, we can reverse this trend. A new Nigeria where no citizen goes to bed hungry and where every citizen lives in dignity is POssible and OK. -PO

Celebrating the Clarissan Missionary Sisters: A Legacy of Faith and Service Heartiest congratulations to the Clarissan Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on the momentous celebration of your jubilees, which commenced with Holy Mass today at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha. I rejoice with you on this special occasion as you celebrate decades of faith, dedication, and selfless service to humanity. Reflecting on our shared commitment to uplifting society through education and human development, I fondly recall my support for your school, Maria Inés College, Obosi, through the provision of buses and computers to enhance mobility and facilitate learning among your students. As you continue your apostolate of forming minds, nurturing character, and empowering young people, I encourage you to remain steadfast in your mission. I firmly believe that education is one of the most powerful instruments for building a just, prosperous, and inclusive society. By investing in our people, especially the younger generation, we are laying the foundation for a Nigeria where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Together, through faith, service, and a shared commitment to human development, we can build the new Nigeria of our dreams. A new Nigeria that is POssible and OK. -PO

BUILDING A NEW NIGERIA – OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY Today, I honoured an impromptu invitation to interact with fellow Nigerians in Manchester, United Kingdom. I had the pleasure of sharing fraternal moments with some of our compatriots in the diaspora. I spent time listening to their concerns about our nation and was encouraged by their passion and desire to build a New Nigeria for all. The task of building a New Nigeria remains our collective responsibility, and there is no better time to roll up our sleeves and get to work than now. Our nation is standing on the brink of a precipice, and we must not shrink from the arduous task ahead of us. Massive corruption and accumulated leadership failures remain the bane of our national progress and development. I explained to them that Nigeria remains one of the most blessed countries in the world and would have taken its place among the most developed countries if not for corruption and the leadership failure bedevilling it. No nation, as I have always maintained, can rise above the character, competence, capacity and commitment of those entrusted with its leadership. That is why we must approach the coming general elections as a race for national survival rather than another routine exercise. It is our collective battle. The nation is ours to save for the birth of a New Nigeria that is POssible and OK. -PO

After my engagements in Manchester, I honoured another impromptu engagement in Birmingham, UK, with a group of Nigerians having their annual general meeting. Our discussions centered on achieving our collective purpose of building a New Nigeria that works for all, which is centered on tackling corruption and electing competent leaders with capacity, character, compassion and commitment, to unite, secure, and move the nation from consumption to production. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Nigeria In Focus: At The Roundtable in Paris, France Today, I participated in a roundtable discussion at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Paris, France. The dialogue brought together policymakers, diplomats, development experts, representatives of international organisations, and members of the international media to discuss Nigeria’s future and its role in an increasingly interconnected world. Our discussions focused on development cooperation and the need to strengthen bilateral partnerships that can accelerate economic growth, improve the lives of our people, create productive opportunities, and support sustainable national development. I reiterated my firm belief that Nigeria possesses the human and natural resources required to become a united, secure, prosperous, and globally competitive nation. What we need is competent, accountable, and compassionate leadership that prioritises investment in people, education, healthcare, productive enterprise, the rule of law, and strong institutions over a politics of consumption. Nigeria’s future is bright, but realising its promise requires deliberate choices. We must move from consumption to production, from poverty to prosperity, and from wasted potential to shared progress. Through good governance, fiscal responsibility, and mutually beneficial international partnerships, we can build an economy that works for all Nigerians and restore our nation’s rightful standing in the comity of nations. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

MY MESSAGE HAS BEEN TWISTED Even though my media office has issued a responsible clarification on the situation, I still find it necessary to add my voice to address the distortion of my message by political opponents. I deeply appreciate Nigerians in the diaspora who work tirelessly and make enormous sacrifices to support their families back home. Their remittances pay for school fees, hospital bills, rent, and feeding expenses. Their patriotism and sacrifices deserve our profound respect. I never asked them to abandon their loved ones. My concern is that Nigeria should not remain a country where millions depend on relatives abroad for basic survival. Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens. Political opponents may twist my message, but the truth remains clear: I am not asking Nigerians abroad to abandon their families. I am advocating for a Nigeria that will no longer abandon its own people. God bless Nigerians at home and abroad. God bless Nigeria. -PO

ENDSARS LEKKI TOLL GATE: NEVER FORGET OCTOBER 20, 2020 Today, October 20, 2026, marks the sixth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate shootings, a painful reminder of the price Nigerian youths paid in their demand for a better country. On that fateful night, peaceful #EndSARS protesters were met with gunfire. Lives were lost, many were injured, and the nation was left with questions about justice, accountability, and the sanctity of human life. We must never forget. We must never normalise injustice. As we remember the victims, I reaffirm my belief that a New Nigeria is possible—a country where citizens are protected, not brutalised; where young people are heard, not silenced; and where government power is exercised with responsibility and respect for human rights. Nigeria must become a nation where no citizen is punished for demanding good governance and a better future. May the souls of the departed continue to rest in peace. May their sacrifice strengthen our resolve to build a Nigeria where this tragedy will never be repeated. A New Nigeria is POssible. A Nigeria where every life matters. -PO

It is also why the recent UNDP report disturbingly noted that all the previous poverty reduction achievements in Nigeria seem to have been reversed. How can our most endowed nation be the country with the highest increase in the number of people falling into poverty? In a more organised society, the recent reports from many international and local organisations on the different dimensions of hardship faced by Nigerians, including poverty, insecurity, inequality, unemployment and corruption, should have compelled the incompetent, corrupt and unpatriotic APC government to resign. We must learn to learn from others so that we can fuel our leapfrog with what others have done. As an axiom in organisational learning states, unless the rate of learning is greater than or equal to the pace of change, an organisation is becoming a dinosaur. A New and Productive Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO

Data and Statistics Are Tools for Effective and Good Governance Data and statistics are indispensable tools for effective and good governance. They enable us to assess performance, measure progress, identify challenges, and learn from the experiences of others. Although the next World Statistics Day will be celebrated on 20 October 2030, I have chosen to commemorate it today because it is usually celebrated on 20 October, and to encourage our people to appreciate the importance of statistics in national development. It is globally known that nations grow and develop by learning from others. In Nigeria, we learnt or adopted almost everything about our governance from other nations. While we got our presidential system from the US, other aspects of our socio-economic and governance systems were adopted from the United Kingdom, flowing from our colonial heritage. These include our legal, educational, banking, health, communication and agricultural systems, etc. As individuals, we also recognise that life is a process of learning to improve, develop and grow. That is the natural process through which we all became medical doctors, economists, engineers, bankers, lawyers, mechanics, painters and professionals in other disciplines. Moreover, we always want to learn from comparable experiences and similar people. This is how we interrogate nations with visible progress and achievements that are verifiable through data and statistics, generally referred to as evidence. Good governance principles are anchored on global best practices, which entail acknowledging, borrowing and adopting what works best in other climes. Global best practices are also parameters and benchmarks for comparative politics and performance. The problem with our incompetent and corrupt APC-led government is the confusion of hubris with leadership. This stems from a lack of patriotism and a total absence of commitment to a better Nigeria. This is why the government lacks the required humility, patriotism and disposition to learning and is fixated on governing our richly endowed nation with corrupt, ineffective and reactive policies, which inevitably produce poor and retrogressive outcomes. Verifiable data and facts confirm that Bangladesh is a developing country with a population of about 178 million people. Undisputed and verifiable statistics affirm that Bangladesh achieved significant poverty reduction between 2010 and 2022. This lifted about 34 million people out of poverty and reduced extreme poverty rates from 12.2% to 5.6%. It is not by accident that indexes such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index are sources of evidence on human progress. It is also widely known and confirmed that the significant poverty reduction was achieved through five key pillars: agricultural growth, export-oriented manufacturing, microfinance and NGOs, social safety nets, and human capital and infrastructure. As the above pillars through which Bangladesh significantly reduced poverty are not too difficult to understand, the appropriate thing a patriotic and effective government would have done is to learn humbly and diligently how Nigeria can also significantly reduce its embarrassing and shameful poverty level. Moreover, just as it is in Bangladesh, so it is with the remarkable leadership in Vietnam, Rwanda, Morocco, India and many other developing nations. Unfortunately, the disingenuous, incompetent and corrupt APC government cannot give what it does not have. It is limited in its global worldview, unwilling to learn and deeply consumed by its inclination towards state capture through the corrupt control of our national resources and bad governance. That is why Nigeria, a richly endowed and blessed country, is now classified as the poverty capital of the world, with a poverty rate of about 63% and over 140 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty.

FROM PARIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: NIGERIA’S FUTURE IN FOCUS Following our dialogue at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Paris yesterday, we made a one-hour stop at a Nigerian restaurant, where we met and interacted with fellow Nigerians before departing for Strasbourg. We arrived at 12:15 a.m. today, Tuesday, 20 October. By 9:30 a.m., we were at the European Parliament, where we held a series of constructive meetings with Members of the European Parliament representing various committees. Our engagements continued until 6:00 p.m. Throughout these discussions, I reiterated that Africa is a continent of immense potential, the world’s second-largest continent by both land area and population, richly endowed with natural resources and blessed with a vast, youthful population capable of driving production, innovation and economic transformation. I called for stronger European support for Africa’s development, particularly Nigeria’s, through partnerships that promote good governance, strengthen democratic institutions and protect the integrity of our electoral processes. Africa needs leaders with the vision, competence and integrity to unite our people, confront corruption decisively, tackle insecurity and reduce inequality. These are essential foundations for building prosperous, stable and inclusive societies. Africa must not be seen merely as a continent of needs, but as a continent of opportunities, solutions and possibilities. Nigeria, in particular, has the human and natural resources to play a significant role in global development. Our future must be built on responsible leadership, productive partnerships and a shared commitment to human dignity and prosperity. A better Nigeria is POssible. A New Nigeria is POssible! -PO

Rebuilding Nigeria Yesterday, Wednesday, 21 October, I arrived in London at 7 a.m. from Basel, Switzerland. It was one of my busiest days, filled with several engagements, including meetings with stakeholders in the UK. I rounded off the day in the evening with a meeting organised by the COPDEM Chief and the NDC Director of Diaspora Affairs, bringing together other stakeholders in London. All the meetings with British government officials and the Nigerian diaspora centred on our collective responsibility to rebuild Nigeria and free our country from the shackles of bad leadership, corruption, and the lack of accountability that continue to undermine our national development. These challenges have deprived millions of Nigerians of access to basic necessities, including quality healthcare, education, and decent employment. Nigerians deserve a country where every life matters, where hard work is rewarded, and where every citizen has a fair opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or connections. We must build a Nigeria where the child of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. A country that works for everyone, not just a privileged few. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Today, I arrived at Abuja Airport from the United Kingdom at 5:30 a.m. and immediately connected to the 7 a.m. Enugu Air flight to Enugu to attend the funeral of late Ifeanyi Nwolie, who was laid to rest in his hometown of Afa, Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State. Late Ifeanyi Nwolie was one of my supporters who participated in the recent NDC party political activity marred by violence on October 10, 2026. Tragically, he was shot. His death is a painful reminder of the devastating human cost of our nation’s current toxic political environment. As we approach the 2027 general elections, I appeal to all candidates contesting at the federal, state, and local government levels to reject violence, ethnic division, and religious bigotry. Our campaigns and activities must be based on issues that will make our country better. Democracy thrives when citizens can freely express their political choices and participate in the electoral process without fear. The process through which we attain public office is more important than the office itself. My humble pledge to the mother is that God Almighty, whom it pleased to bring Ifeanyi home, has also given her another son in me to support her as Ifeanyi used to. A country’s greatest strength lies in the rule of law. When the rule of law is undermined, the door is opened to disorder and anarchy. We must work together to rebuild and restore a Nigeria where human life is valued above political ambition, and where every citizen can exercise their democratic rights in peace and safety. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

I received with profound sorrow the news of the passing of our dearest mother, Prof. Kamene Okonjo, beloved mother of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and revered matriarch of the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. Mama lived a remarkable life of service, dignity, wisdom, and devotion to her family, community, and humanity. Her passing is a great loss, not only to the Okonjo family and the people of Ogwashi-Uku, but to all who were privileged to know and draw inspiration from her life. At this difficult moment, I extend my deepest and heartfelt condolences to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala @NOIweala , the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, His Royal Majesty, Obi Ifechukwude Okonjo II, the entire Okonjo family, the people of Ogwashi-Uku, and all of us who mourn this great matriarch. May Almighty God grant the family the strength and comfort to bear this irreparable loss, and may He grant our dearest mother, Prof. Kamene Okonjo, eternal rest. -PO

EXIT OF A TITAN I am deeply saddened by the passing of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the revered Afenifere leader and elder statesman, at the age of 100. Baba lived a life defined by courage, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to democracy, justice, and a better Nigeria. His passing is a great loss to his family, the Yoruba nation, and our country. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, the entire Afenifere family, and all those who mourn this great patriot. May God grant them the strength to bear this painful loss and grant Baba eternal rest. His legacy of principled leadership, selfless service, and steadfast commitment to democratic ideals will continue to inspire generations. -PO