Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has once again taken aim at Nigeria’s approach to foreign diplomacy, arguing that state visits by government leaders must go beyond ceremonies and deliver concrete economic benefits for citizens.
In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, Obi said international engagements should not be treated as symbolic events or diplomatic pageantry, but as strategic opportunities to attract investment, technology and jobs.
“State visits by leaders are not tourism, and diplomacy is not a fashion parade,” he said, stressing that Nigerians deserve to see measurable returns from every official trip abroad.
According to him, foreign engagements should be judged strictly by outcomes such as trade agreements, industrial partnerships, factory investments, technology transfer and job creation.
Obi also referenced recent global diplomatic activities, including a reported visit involving former United States President Donald Trump in China, which he said demonstrated how advanced economies tie diplomacy directly to large-scale commercial deals and industrial expansion.
Turning his focus back to Nigeria, he questioned the results of President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom, asking what tangible economic benefits have followed the trip.
His criticism centred on a broader concern: that Nigeria’s foreign visits often generate publicity but fail to produce visible economic impact at home.
He listed the size of the presidential delegation, which he said included top government officials, governors, ministers, lawmakers and aides, arguing that such large entourages increase costs without guaranteeing proportional returns.
“It is not enough to ride horses, wear matching uniforms, attend royal banquets, and release glossy photographs,” Obi said. “Symbolism without substance cannot feed hungry citizens.”
He further argued that Nigeria’s current economic realities — rising inflation, unemployment, insecurity and currency pressure — make it even more important for every diplomatic engagement to yield measurable results.
At a time when citizens are struggling with the cost of living, Obi said, every public expenditure on foreign trips must be justified through tangible outcomes such as investments, infrastructure projects and job creation.
He concluded that Nigeria needs a shift in leadership mindset from ceremonial diplomacy to results-driven international engagement that prioritises productivity over optics.
