Democracy: Peter Obi visits Commonwealth Headquarters in London

By John Alechenu, Abuja

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has continued his international consultations and engagements on democracy and nation-building with a visit to the Commonwealth Headquarters in London.

Obi, accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Margaret Obi, met with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the first African woman to lead the 56-member global body of English-speaking nations.

According to Obi, who shared details of the meeting via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, discussions focused on promoting democracy, strengthening the rule of law, expanding access to education, and empowering young people across Commonwealth countries.

He wrote: “On Wednesday, my wife and I met with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, at the Commonwealth Headquarters in London. Our discussions centred on promoting democracy, deepening the rule of law, expanding access to education, and empowering young people across Commonwealth nations.”

Highlighting the importance of youth in global development, Obi noted that with over 2.5 billion of the Commonwealth’s population under the age of 30, young people remain the organisation’s greatest asset and hope for the future.

He stressed that for Nigeria — a nation richly endowed with human and natural resources — meaningful investment in education, innovation, and entrepreneurship is key to unlocking the vast potential of its youth.

“When properly equipped, our young people will not only drive national development but also contribute significantly to global progress,” Obi said.

He identified youth unemployment as one of the most pressing challenges of the time, calling for intentional and practical action through skills development, access to quality education, and the creation of an enabling environment for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to thrive.

Hon. Botchwey, in her remarks, reaffirmed that her top priorities include education, youth engagement, and employment creation. She emphasised the importance of building inclusive societies that uphold democracy, good governance, justice, and equal opportunity for all.

“Empowering young people is not only vital to sustaining democracy but also indispensable to shaping a stable, peaceful, and prosperous future for all Commonwealth citizens,” she said.

Obi commended Hon. Botchwey for her dynamic and visionary leadership, describing her as a trailblazer whose dedication to education, youth empowerment, and democratic ideals continues to strengthen the Commonwealth and inspire nations around the world.

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