Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has renewed his call on governments at all levels to prioritise the rehabilitation existing infrastructure over the construction of new projects, warning that abandoning this approach often leads to unfinished or neglected developments.
In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Obi said he has faced criticism in the past for holding this position but insisted it remains the most responsible approach to governance.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for cautioning state governors against spending scarce public funds on unnecessary flyovers in low-traffic areas while ignoring more urgent developmental needs, saying the President’s position aligns with what he has consistently advocated.
“The President is, in essence, saying what I have always maintained: the government must prioritise projects that directly address the immediate needs of the people,” Obi said, adding that he hopes officials who previously criticised his stance will now hold the Federal Government to the same standard.
He said the admonition should also apply to the Federal Government, noting that several “unrealistic and white-elephant projects” are being pursued nationally even as critical infrastructure continues to deteriorate.
He urged that given Nigeria’s current fiscal constraints, priority should be given to completing and repairing existing infrastructure rather than starting expensive ventures with limited immediate benefit.
Obi lamented the poor state of major highways connecting commercial centres and food-producing communities across the country, describing many of them as “death traps” and warning that pursuing prestige projects at their expense is neither economically sound nor beneficial to citizens.
He said this philosophy shaped his administration in Anambra State, where he prioritised completing viable projects started by his predecessors before initiating new ones.
“Government is a continuum, and development should never be measured by who starts a project, but by whether it is completed and serves the people,” he said.
Obi added that true leadership lies in making difficult but necessary choices -fixing what is broken, completing ongoing projects, and channeling limited public resources toward initiatives that benefit the greatest number of people.
