Sowore Condemns Tinubu’s UK Trip, Says No Need To Kneel Before King, Queen For Investments If Nigeria Works
Sowore Condemns Tinubu’s UK Trip, Says No Need To Kneel Before King, Queen For Investments If Nigeria Works
Sowore made the remarks during a recent appearance on Channels TV Morning Brief monitored by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, where he argued that Nigeria possesses far greater economic potential than it currently leverages.
Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised Nigerian leaders’ frequent foreign trips, particularly to the United Kingdom, describing them as unnecessary and driven by “dishonesty” about economic progress.
Sowore made the remarks during a recent appearance on Channels TV Morning Brief monitored by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, where he argued that Nigeria possesses far greater economic potential than it currently leverages.
“You see, what you’ve actually stated is that Nigeria has got a lot more to offer to the UK than the UK has to offer Nigeria,” Sowore said.
He insisted that with proper governance, Nigeria’s economy could have rivalled that of the United Kingdom by now.
“If Nigeria had been properly governed over the years, the economy would probably be competing bigger than that of the United Kingdom by now,” he added.
The activist further alleged that multinational corporations continue to reap enormous profits from Nigeria while the country gains little in return. He cited oil giant Shell, also known as Royal Dutch Shell, as one of the firms benefitting significantly from Nigeria’s resources.
“You know, till tomorrow, most of their companies are making the biggest amount of profit from Nigeria. Shell, Royal Dutch Shell, which has a very prominent UK presence, is making billions from Nigeria. They’re still doing that,” he said.
Sowore questioned the necessity of high-profile foreign trips by government officials to secure agreements, arguing that such deals could be handled domestically by relevant ministries or agencies.
“So, you don’t need to travel to the UK if your country is working to go and sign agreements that could be signed by the council of a local government, or even the finance minister, or the minister in charge of investment,” he stated.
He also drew parallels with past administrations, referencing the military era under former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, when similar promises of economic gains from foreign engagements were made.
“What I’m saying is that telling these stories over and over again is kind of tiresome. We heard them in 1989 when Babangida went there, oh, he’s going to sign agreements, we’re going to buy tanks,” Sowore said.
“I said, if you need to travel to the UK to buy tanks, where are those tanks today? Where is the prosperity that was promised in 1989?”
He criticised what he described as a pattern of political leaders seeking validation and investment abroad rather than fixing domestic economic conditions.
“So, you are back in 2026 to put on your Christmas dress and go and kneel before the king or queen just so that you can get investment. If you have it right, investors will come to your country. You don’t need to travel,” he added.
While acknowledging the importance of international relations, Sowore maintained that the narrative that such trips are key to Nigeria’s prosperity is misleading.
“I’m not discounting the fact that we can have relationships with countries and have some of this fanfare. But what I dislike is the dishonesty around the fact that this is going to be the reason why Nigeria will prosper,” he said.
