Mr. Peter Obi, sole presidential aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is in Cape Town, South Africa where he is participating in the Spier Dialogue 2026 and where on arrival, he had a well attended meeting with the Nigerian community in the country.
The Spier Dialogue is a high level, exclusive pan- African forum that brings together leaders from different parts of the continent to brainstorm on the future direction of the continent with emphasis on such issues as governance, democracy, youth empowerment, economic inclusion, production, and urban development.
In a post on his X platform, Mr. Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, noted that this year’s Spier Dialogue is coming “at a crucial time as Africa grapples with significant issues in governance, democracy, economic inclusion, urbanisation, migration, and leadership,” stressing that “it also highlights the vast opportunities presented by the energy and creativity of our young population.”
Mr. Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, who, in his address at the Forum is advocating leadership reforms and youth empowerment in Africa, in the X post, also pointed out that “Africa’s future should not be characterised by poverty amid abundance or by division instead of development. It is time for us to transition from consumption to production, from divisive politics to politics built on competence and compassion, and from mere promises to tangible progress that serves everyday citizens.”
The political leader, who said that he remains “dedicated to advocating for a New Nigeria and a New Africa—one where governance genuinely serves the people, where the youth are equipped with education and opportunities, and where leadership is founded on integrity, service, and sacrifice,” noted that in his meeting with the Nigerian community, he engaged them in “a heartfelt discussion about the recent challenges affecting African expatriates in South Africa, resulting in over two hours of fruitful dialogue.”
