Obi stated this on Thursday in Abuja while speaking at the
Sahel Food Systems Changemakers Conference 2025, organised by Sahel Consulting
with the theme “Designing for Legacy: Building Resilient and Impact-Driven Food
Systems.”

The conference brought together leaders in development,
agribusiness, and sustainability, including Sahel Consulting Chairman, Mezue
Nwuneli; ONE Campaign CEO and keynote speaker, Ndidi Nwuneli; Inga Stefanowicz,
Head of Section, Green Economy, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS; Michael
Ojo, Country Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Dr.
Hussaini Abdu, Country Director, CARE International; Lekan Tobe, Country
Director, Heifer International; and Oladoyin Olawaiye, Deputy Country Director,
GIZ.

Obi, in his remarks, lamented Nigeria’s paradox of
widespread hunger despite being blessed with vast arable land and abundant
human capital. He said it was unacceptable that Nigerians still go to bed
hungry in a country capable of feeding itself and others.

“No Nigerian should go to bed hungry. Nigeria, blessed with
vast arable land and human capital, should not be listed among the hungriest
countries in the world. Instead, we should be self-sufficient and exporting,”
he said.

Citing Bangladesh as an example, Obi noted that the Asian
nation, with a land area of about 148,600 square kilometres — roughly the size
of Niger and Borno states combined — produces almost ten times more rice than
Nigeria.

“This reality reflects our misplaced priorities. It is not a
lack of capacity, but a lack of commitment and leadership focus,” he added.

Obi also visited exhibition stands featuring innovative
agri-businesses, including AACE Foods, SEM Food and Prices, Dmore Foods, and
CHC Agritech Africa. He commended the entrepreneurs for their resilience and
contribution to national development, saying their work highlights the
importance of supporting small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) and
building strong agricultural value chains.

He emphasised that with the right policies and an enabling
environment, agriculture could surpass oil as Nigeria’s major source of income.

“It is time for Nigeria to realise that we can earn more
from agriculture than from oil. For Nigeria to rise, we must move from
consumption to production, from dependency to productivity, and from rhetoric
to action,” Obi stated.

He concluded by reaffirming his belief in the nation’s
potential, saying: “Our farmers, entrepreneurs, and innovators are ready. The
government must simply create the enabling environment for our youths and for
our nation. A new Nigeria is possible.”