Ogra Tells Peter Obi: ‘Every Country You Asked Nigeria To Copy Has Been Hit By Crisis!’

Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Digital Communications, Engagement and New Media Strategy, Mr O’tega Ogra, has criticised comments by Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election and presidential flagbearer of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) for the 2027 election, arguing that many of the countries the former Anambra State governor has cited as models for Nigeria have themselves experienced significant economic shocks in recent years.

Ogra, who is also Vice-President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), made the remarks in a post on X, formerly Twitter, where he questioned what he described as the opposition’s reliance on foreign examples in assessing Nigeria’s economic challenges and policy direction.
According to him, “Every country Mr Gregory Peter Obi @PeterObi has asked Nigeria to copy has, within the last three years, faced one major negative shock or another, from Argentina to Indonesia.”

The presidential aide argued that governance should not be based on what he termed “selective comparison” but on a clear understanding of a country’s unique realities and challenges.

“That should teach us something. Nations are not managed by selective comparison. They are governed through context, capacity, discipline and the ability to anticipate shocks,” he stated.

Drawing a comparison with the corporate world, Ogra said leaders who recommend models without properly evaluating their risks could lose credibility among stakeholders.

“In the corporate world, a CEO who keeps recommending models without stress testing their risks would quickly lose the confidence of the Board. It would raise serious questions about judgment, planning and the ability to protect the institution in uncertain times,” Ogra who was recently appointed into executive Committee of world federation of Advertisers said.

The comments come amid continuing debates over the direction of Nigeria’s economy and the effectiveness of the reforms introduced by President Tinubu’s administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, has frequently pointed to countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and, at different times, Argentina as examples of economies that have implemented reforms and achieved growth, urging Nigeria to learn from their experiences.

However, Ogra insisted that successful governance requires more than simply adopting policies from other jurisdictions.

“Nigeria does not need copy-and-paste economics. It needs leadership that understands its own realities, strengthens its own foundations, and builds resilience before applause,” he wrote.

He concluded by expressing confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership, stating: “This is where President Bola Tinubu stands heads above them all.”

Ogra has emerged as one of the administration’s most visible communicators on economic and governance issues. Beyond his role in government, he serves as Vice-President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria and was recently appointed to the Executive Committee of the World Federation of Advertisers, a development that has drawn attention within both public policy and marketing circles.

His latest comments are expected to further fuel the long-running debate between supporters of President Tinubu and Peter Obi over the best path to economic recovery, fiscal stability and sustainable growth in Africa’s largest economy.