Former Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Prince Adewole Adebayo, on Friday asserted that Nigeria has no justification for its current poverty levels, insisting the nation is richly endowed with “hidden treasures” in both human and natural resources that successive leaders have failed to harness.
Speaking during the unveiling and public presentation of The Hidden Treasures, authored by Deacon Chris Iyowaye in Abuja, Adebayo argued that Nigeria’s core problem is not scarcity of wealth but the inability of its political class to recognise and utilise the vast opportunities scattered across the country.
According to him, every part of Nigeria, from its land to its people and natural assets, contains sufficient value that can guarantee prosperity if effectively managed.
“Nigeria is too blessed to be poor. Every square inch of this country contains treasure: human, mineral, solid, liquid, surface and subterranean. It is impossible for a country with this level of endowment to be poor,” he said.
Adebayo added that the idea of “hidden treasures” goes beyond metaphorical expression and mirrors the depth of Nigeria’s untapped potential.
“Some treasures appear hidden because leadership has been blind to them. What we lack is not wealth but the vision to find and develop it.”
The former SDP candidate described the Niger Delta as a testament to Nigeria’s global strategic value, noting that the region alone sustains national revenue and international energy relevance.
“The Niger Delta carries resources that many nations can only dream of. For over a hundred years, people have made fortunes from that region. Nigeria must repay the Niger Delta with gratitude and development.”
He noted personally that the region had played a significant role in his own life.
Adebayo maintained that Nigeria’s real transformation will only occur when leaders prioritise unlocking the nation’s natural and human potential rather than depending on external interventions.
“The world is eager to exploit our resources because they see what we fail to see. Leadership must stop waiting for windfalls. We must collectively discover, refine and deploy our treasures individually, corporately and politically.”
He stressed that each generation has a duty to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s advancement.
