Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has shared his thoughts on the decision of nurses attempting to leave the country (Japa).

The former governor of Anambra State stated that nurses and other professionals should not be prevented from travelling out of Nigeria.

Speaking at St. Charles Borromeo College of Nursing and Midwifery in Onitsha on Monday, October 14, 2024, Obi noted that education and health are the currencies in which people will transact in the future.

Obi highlighted the country’s population, which currently stands at over 200 million people, and emphasising that there is no need to restrict people from seeking opportunities abroad.

He suggested that the authorities should focus on training more people as foreign remittances can be a source of revenue for the country.

“What we are doing is not charity, we are rather investing in you. We need to invest in knowledge and health because it is the future.

“Investing in you will ensure your greatness. Your profession is lucrative, you’re being looked for all over the world.

“I told Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria that they should stop denying anybody from leaving Nigeria for greener pastures.

“We have 200 million people, let us educate them. Let those who want go out to go and let those who want to stay should stay. Diaspora remittance is also a form of revenue generation.

“If you see me going round trying to donate, it is not anything but because we want to make life better for you all. I came here so I can donate to you. My children will not attend that university, and I can sit down and use the money to add more chieftaincy to my name, but that is not be how to develop the future.

“I will be in college of nursing Anyingba tomorrow, they need my assistance to get accreditation and I will be there to support them, so that they can get it,” Obi said.