Peter Obi, a former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate has stated some internet scammers, sometimes known as “Yahoo boys,” have extraordinary inventiveness that, if guided, may be advantageous to the country.
“Some of our so-called Yahoo boys are geniuses who need redirection, not condemnation. Their creativity and courage, if properly guided, can drive innovation and national development,” Obi said on Saturday in Onitsha, the capital of Anambra state.
The former governor gave a speech during the “Golden Health” conference, which took place at All Saints’ Cathedral in Onitsha’s Archbishop Patterson Auditorium.
The purpose of the “Money beyond wealth” event was to encourage moral renewal and ethical leadership among youth.
Peter Obi claimed that because the conference tackled “a vice that has eroded our values — the greed for material possessions,” he returned early from a two-day meeting in the UK.
He warned that Nigeria cannot achieve greatness while encouraging dishonesty and applauding corruption.
“Real wealth uplifts both the individual and society, promotes education, reduces poverty, and creates opportunities for others to live dignified lives,” he wrote on X.
Obi warned that no country can advance if its leaders do not provide an example of integrity, adding that Nigeria’s moral basis has been harmed by the heedless pursuit of wealth with many pushed to become yahoo boys.
Declaring that nations are founded “not by miracles but by men and women who think, work, and build,” he exhorted youth to embrace hard work and reclaim the dignity of labour.
The LP leader emphasised that national progress necessitates common commitment rather than prejudice based on race or religion and advocated for justice and fairness in government.
Our Youths Need Redirection
I arrived in the United Kingdom on Friday morning to attend a scheduled two-day meeting, but I had to cut it short by a day to attend a youth event in Onitsha today as a guest speaker. Upon my arrival this morning, I went straight to Onitsha and was… pic.twitter.com/q8r5e8MOSS
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) October 25, 2025
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