Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for a national rethink on how to handle internet fraudsters, popularly known as “Yahoo boys,” describing many of them as “untapped geniuses” whose skills could be harnessed for innovation and national growth if properly redirected.
Speaking on Saturday at the “Golden Health” conference held at the Archbishop Patterson Auditorium, All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha, Anambra State, Obi said Nigeria must move from condemning its misguided youth to channeling their energy into productive ventures.
“Some of our so-called Yahoo boys are geniuses who need redirection, not condemnation,” Obi said. “Their creativity and courage, if properly guided, can drive innovation and national development.”
The event, themed “Money Beyond Wealth,” focused on restoring ethical leadership and moral discipline among Nigerian youths. Obi, who returned early from a meeting in the United Kingdom to attend the conference, said he was drawn to its focus on confronting “a vice that has eroded our values — the greed for material possessions.”
He warned that Nigeria cannot attain greatness while celebrating corruption and rewarding dishonesty, stressing that true wealth lies in integrity, character, and purpose — not in money alone.
“Real wealth uplifts both the individual and society, promotes education, reduces poverty, and creates opportunities for others to live dignified lives,” Obi noted in a post on X.
He lamented that the reckless pursuit of wealth has weakened Nigeria’s moral foundation, warning that no nation can progress if its leaders fail to embody honesty and transparency.
“Leadership must lead by example, for a nation that rewards dishonesty cannot build integrity,” he said.
Obi urged young Nigerians to rediscover the dignity of labour and embrace hard work, saying great nations are built not by miracles but by citizens who think, work, and build with purpose.
He also called for fairness and justice in governance, emphasizing that Nigeria’s progress depends on collective effort, not ethnic or religious divisions.
“No religion or tribe buys bread cheaper than another,” he said. “Nigeria is richly blessed with resources — what we lack is the will to do what is right.”
The former Anambra governor thanked Bishop Owen Nwokolo of the Diocese on the Niger for his mentorship and commended the conference organisers for promoting discipline and value-driven leadership among young people.