The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to provide evidence that it actually disbursed ₦1 trillion to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria since 2015.
Speaking on Wednesday via his official 𝕏 handle, Obi said most Nigerians were not even aware of the existence of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), the institution said to have released the funds.
He stressed that if such a huge sum was truly deployed, the results should be visible in the lives of ordinary citizens.
“I recently read a report from the DBN stating that it has disbursed over ₦1 trillion to MSMEs in Nigeria since 2015. By simple conversion, this amounts to more than $1 billion. If indeed such an amount was deployed to support enterprises, the results should be evident,” Obi wrote.
The former Anambra governor wondered how such a massive amount could be disbursed without noticeable impact on small businesses or job creation.
He added:
“How can such a huge sum be disbursed and yet ordinary Nigerians feel no impact? Nigerians need to know where the money went. Who exactly were the beneficiaries? What tangible businesses were created? Where is the proof of jobs generated or poverty reduced?”
Obi further argued that without clear answers and transparency, the claim amounts to another case of scarce resources being captured by elites under the guise of empowerment.
He insisted that Nigerians must demand accountability, noting that true empowerment must be proven by real results, not just statistics.
