Dr. Segun Showunmi disputes Peter Obi’s Johns Hopkins economic data, claiming flawed metrics and exclusion of Nigeria’s informal sector

Following Peter Obi’s lecture at Johns Hopkins University, where he presented comparative economic data highlighting Nigeria’s developmental challenges.

Also read: Peter Obi warns Nigeria is ‘collapsing’ amid economic hardship

Dr. Segun Showunmi, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, has publicly contested the accuracy of the figures.

Obi’s lecture, “Politics and Change in Nigeria,” drew comparisons between Nigeria’s economic performance and that of China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, citing disparities in GDP per capita and poverty levels.1 He attributed Nigeria’s lagging development to inadequate political leadership.

However, Dr. Showunmi has strongly refuted Obi’s data, asserting that the measurements are “faulty” and “extremely skewed.” He specifically criticized the lack of reliable metrics to account for Nigeria’s substantial informal sector, which he believes significantly distorts the economic picture.

The accuracy of the data presented – these measurements are faulty. Extremely skewed for those who manipulate these figures have no metrics to measure the informal sector in Nigeria,” said Dr. Segun Showunmi.

“The accuracy of the data presented – these measurements are faulty. Extremely skewed for those who manipulate these figures have no metrics to measure the informal sector in Nigeria,” Dr. Showunmi stated.

He further urged Obi to cease presenting such potentially inaccurate information at international forums, arguing that it misrepresents Nigeria’s economic reality. Instead, he called for the burden of proof to be placed on those who manipulate the data.

Dr. Showunmi’s intervention has sparked a debate about the reliability of economic data used to assess Nigeria’s development, particularly concerning the challenges of measuring the informal sector’s contribution.