Peter Obi resumed public activities after a health-related break, urging greater support for SMEs as the foundation for Nigeria’s economic growth and job creation.
Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has resumed public engagements after a brief health-related break, reiterating his call for stronger investment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Obi, in a statement on Monday via his X account, disclosed that his first engagement was a visit to Maison de Helen (MDH), a Nigerian luxury fashion brand founded in 1990 by designer Helen Unuane and now co-managed with her daughter, Elsie.
He praised MDH for its innovation and sustained use of indigenous fabrics, describing the brand as “living proof of how Nigerian creativity, heritage, and enterprise can resonate on the global stage.”
Citing global statistics, Obi noted that the textile industry is valued at $1.7 trillion and employs 300 million people, contrasting Nigeria’s underperformance with Bangladesh’s $50 billion annual textile revenue.
“The collapse of Nigeria’s textile industry has left the sector contributing little,” he said, urging support for SMEs to move Nigeria “from consumption to production.”