In a world where private jets have become the norm for celebrities and CEOs, some leaders are speaking out against this trend of waste and excess.
As the Nigerian Eye reported in early July, former Labor Party presidential candidate Peter Obi recently criticized President Bola Tinubu for buying a private jet in 2024.
Obi, who ran for the presidency in 2023 and has confirmed another run for the office in 2027, said that if he were elected president, he would never spend billions on a private aircraft when there is so much need in Nigerian communities.
"I don't need one … because you can go anywhere without a jet. I will never need one," Obi said in a televised interview on the program Sunday Politics. "I will not use 150 billion [naira] to buy a jet when 80% of our primary health centers are not functioning."
Obi disagreed with the idea that private jets are necessary for a president's safety and security. He explained that he never felt the need for private jets or bulletproof cars when he served as governor.
"If your people are dying, you should be ready to die," he said.
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By considering the health and welfare of the Nigerian people, Obi sends a message that the high cost of private jets doesn't justify the personal benefits they offer.
Not only do many people consider the use of private jets to be a waste of money, but it is also environmentally damaging.
A 2024 study found that the heat-trapping pollution emitted from private jets increased by 46% between 2019 and 2023. Private jets have a significant impact on our planet's climate, driving rising global temperatures, and, according to 2023 reporting from The Guardian, produce up to 14 times more pollution per passenger than standard commercial planes.
Obi's stance on private jet travel may set an example — and a standard — for other leaders.
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Definitely 👍 Meanwhile, many have been critical of the country's current president, Tinubu, for his previous purchase of a private jet.
"Tinubu's new Airbus presidential aircraft purchase for N150 billion at a time of penury, hunger, and want shows how wicked, selfish, self-indulgent, and insensitive to the plight of the average Nigerian he really is," one person posted on X last year, per the BBC.
While some criticized each of the top Nigerian presidential candidates and their "unimpressive" climate plans in 2023, others highlighted Obi's call for a "green epoch" and a shift from "fossil fuel dependency to climate and eco-friendly energy use."
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