The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, says African nations must focus on productivity and human capital development as a way of combating the tariff regime of United States (US) President, Donald Trump.
He said Africa must embark on a transformative change agenda focused on the rapid development of the continent’s economy.
News360 Info reports that Obi made the submission on Tuesday in London at the plenary session of the 2025 Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) Trade and Investment Summit, according to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Peter Obi media office, Ibrahim Umar.
He lamented that Africa had become too reliant on external Western political and economic institutions without focusing on productivity and human capital development.
He made the submission in the wake of the decision of the American government to impose a 14 per cent tariff on Nigerian exports, citing trade barriers created by Nigeria’s restrictions on 25 categories of American goods.
Recall that last week, Trump announced new tariffs under what he termed ‘Liberation Day’ trade measures, affecting nearly all countries, including Nigeria.
However, the former Anambra State Governor said in response to the tariff imposition, African nations must focus on rapid upgrades in productive capacities, especially in innovative education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.
Speaking on the topic “Africa’s Role in the New Global Economy,” Peter Obi advised African leaders to invest in the continent’s vast youthful human capital, which represents a workforce of over a billion people.
He noted that while many Countries have responded proactively to Trump’s trade tariffs to protect their economies, Africa has largely failed to do so.
Despite its vast potential, Obi observed that Africa’s share of global trade remains low, standing at just 2–3 percent, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“Our share of the global GDP is about three percent. Africa’s GDP per capita is even worse, at $1,900, compared to Asia’s average of around $9,000.
“Africa is home to the most youthful and dynamic workforce, with the largest concentration of working-age individuals—about one billion people.
“The continent boasts abundant natural resources, including nearly a billion hectares of uncultivated arable land. Africa holds over 60 percent of the world’s arable land and about 30 percent of global mineral resources,” he said.
Obi highlighted that Africa must explore its rich potential in the agricultural sector, noting that the continent’s food and agriculture market, currently valued at about $280 billion annually, is projected to grow to over $1 trillion by 2030.
“This shows that, with agriculture at the core of Africa’s economic transformation, the continent has the potential to become a global agricultural powerhouse and a net exporter of food—contributing meaningfully to the new global economy.”
“What is missing is the leadership that can reorder priorities and scale up productivity so that African countries can move up the value chain,” he said.
Obi said Africa must be ready for higher-value production in response to the trade restrictions imposed by President Trump.
“We need to produce more goods and services that the world needs and be smart enough to leverage whatever global trade arrangement emerges from Mr. Trump’s disruption,” he concluded.
