Yahoo boys need guidance and support- Peter Obi

Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has said many Yahoo boys are “genuinely gifted individuals” whose intelligence should be redirected toward productive and innovative ventures instead of being condemned.

Obi made the remarks yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra State, during the Golden Health Conference held at the Archbishop Patterson Auditorium, All Saints’ Cathedral.

The conference, themed “Money Beyond Wealth,” focused on promoting ethical leadership and moral renewal among young people.
Obi stated that some of our so-called Yahoo boys are geniuses who need redirection, not condemnation. Their creativity and courage, if properly guided, can drive innovation and national development.

He disclosed that he cut short a two-day engagement in the United Kingdom to attend the event, describing it as “a timely platform to discuss a vice that has eroded our values, the uncontrolled pursuit of material possessions.”

He warned that Nigeria cannot attain greatness while celebrating corruption and dishonesty, stressing that a nation that rewards wrongdoers cannot build integrity.

According to him, money is important but not the true measure of wealth.

“Real wealth uplifts both the individual and society. It promotes education, reduces poverty, and creates opportunities for others to live dignified lives,” he added.

Obi lamented that the reckless pursuit of money has destroyed Nigeria’s moral foundation, urging leaders to lead by example and promote integrity in public life.

“Leadership must lead by example. No society can progress when dishonesty is rewarded and integrity is mocked,” he said.

He also charged Nigerian youths to rediscover the dignity of labour and embrace hard work, noting that nations are not built by miracles but by men and women who think, work, and build.

He further called for justice, equity, and fairness in governance, insisting that genuine national development can only be achieved through honesty and shared purpose, not ethnic or religious bias.

“No religion or tribe buys bread cheaper than another. Nigeria is blessed with abundant resources; what we lack is the will to do what is right,” Obi concluded.