Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has attributed Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the ongoing FIFA World Cup to poor leadership and weak institutions.
Obi made the remark in a statement shared on his official social media page on July 5, 2026, while congratulating African countries representing the continent at the tournament.
He gave special commendation to Cape Verde for advancing to the knockout stage of the competition despite its relatively small population and landmass.
According to Obi, Cape Verde has a landmass of 4,033 square kilometres, less than 0.5 per cent of Nigeria’s 923,768 square kilometres, and a population of about 550,000, representing less than 0.25 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated 230 million people.
He noted that Cape Verde’s population is about 200,000 fewer than that of Ogbomoso, yet the country qualified for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.
“Cape Verde has once again demonstrated that greatness is not determined by size or population, but by planning and disciplined execution. When systems work, even the smallest nations can compete with the best in the world,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor argued that Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup was not due to a lack of football talent but the result of years of poor administration, weak institutions and leadership that failed to build sustainable systems.
According to him, the country’s experience should serve as a lesson on the need to strengthen institutions, reward competence and improve leadership across all sectors.
“If we can get leadership right, strengthen our institutions, plan and execute properly, and reward talent over connections, Nigeria can become a global success story, not only in football but also in other areas,” he said.
Obi maintained that effective leadership, stronger institutions and proper planning remain essential to Nigeria’s development, expressing confidence that the country could still achieve sustainable progress.
“A New Nigeria is POssible and Nigeria will be OK,” he added.
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