Peter Obi Donates ₦30m to Dominican University, Urges Youth to Take Charge of Their Future

Esther Oluku 

Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has donated ₦30 million to Dominican University, Ibadan (Samonda Campus), while urging Nigerian youths to take responsibility for shaping their future.

Mr Obi, who has served as Pro-Chancellor of the institution for nearly a decade, arrived unannounced on campus on Monday morning, surprising students who were preparing for their examinations. 

Addressing both students and staff, he lamented the contradiction of Nigeria being among the world’s hungriest nations despite having about 60 per cent of its arable land uncultivated. 

According to him, Nigeria’s challenges are not rooted in a lack of resources, but in a shortage of competence, capacity and compassion in leadership. He added that the era of depending on global goodwill had passed, stressing that Africa was increasingly being told to return home and develop from the grassroots.

Mr Obi encouraged students to see agriculture as the country’s “new oil”, citing the Netherlands, a nation roughly the size of Niger State, which earns over $130 billion annually from agricultural exports—far more than Nigeria makes from crude oil. 

He also compared the vast Sambisa area with Israel, which exports food despite having a much smaller landmass. “Development does not come with tribe; it comes with knowledge,” he said, insisting that only competent leadership could translate Nigeria’s natural wealth into prosperity.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jacinta A. Opara, expressed gratitude for the donation, noting that it followed an earlier ₦50 million grant from Mr Obi. She said the visit had lifted morale across the university community and reaffirmed Dominican University’s commitment to academic and moral excellence.

When asked about the 2027 elections, Mr Obi told students that the responsibility of safeguarding democracy rested largely with them. “It is you that will protect your vote. It is your future that is at stake,” he said, urging a shift from a culture of consumption to one of production, beginning in the classroom.

Students and staff described the visit as inspiring. Mr Cosmos Akobundu, a final-year Philosophy student, said learning that Obi also studied philosophy had reshaped his view of the future. Other students said the encounter strengthened their resolve to work harder and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

Members of the University community also commended Obi on the visit, describing it as a symbol of humility, leadership and a catalyst for promoting a culture of excellence among young Nigerians.