Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said that some Nigerian internet fra¥dsters, popularly known as “Yahoo boys”, possess exceptional creativity that can be harnessed for national growth.
“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, Anambra State, at the Golden Health Conference themed “Money Beyond Wealth.”
Obi, who returned early from a UK trip to attend the event, said it was important because it addressed “a vice that has eroded our values — the greed for material possessions.”
He stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve greatness while celebrating corr+ption and rewarding dishonesty. “Money is necessary, but it is only a small part of real wealth,” he noted. “True wealth is built on integrity, character, and purpose.
It uplifts society, promotes education, reduces poverty, and creates opportunities for others.” The former Anambra governor warned that the reckless pursuit of wealth has damaged Nigeria’s moral fabric. “Leadership must lead by example, for a nation that rewards dishonesty cannot build integrity,” he said.
Obi urged Nigerian youths to rediscover the dignity of labour, emphasising that nations are built “not by miracles but by men and women who think, work, and build.”
He also called for justice and fairness in governance, saying development requires collective effort, not ethnic or religious bias. “No religion or tribe buys bread cheaper than another. Nigeria is blessed with abundant resources; what we lack is the will to do what is right,” he said.
Obi thanked Bishop Owen Nwokolo of the Diocese on the Niger and commended the organisers for promoting discipline and value-based leadership among young Nigerians.
