Peter Obi’s recent trip to Indonesia has shed light on valuable lessons Nigeria can learn from the country’s remarkable progress. Indonesia’s commitment to universal health coverage is particularly striking, with its National Health Insurance Program covering about 98% of the population, compared to Nigeria’s less than 10%.¹
Obi’s meetings with Indonesian officials, including the Minister of Health and former Vice President, highlighted the importance of preventive care, subsidies for low-income individuals, and primary health worker training in achieving inclusive healthcare.
Indonesia’s education sector is another area where Nigeria can draw inspiration. With a compulsory basic education policy, Indonesia has achieved a 99% school enrollment rate, while Nigeria faces significant challenges, including a shortage of universities. In fact, with a population about 80% of Indonesia’s, Nigeria should ideally have at least 1,000 universities, compared to the current fewer than 200 institutions.
The key takeaways from Obi’s trip include the need for:
– *Structured, data-driven policies*: focused on rural development, industrialization, and diversification to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth.
– *Focused commitment and decisive leadership*: to drive transformation and ensure measurable development in key areas.
– *Investing in human capital*: through education and healthcare to unlock Nigeria’s full potential.
As Obi emphasized, with political will and strategic execution, Nigeria can learn from Indonesia’s success story and ensure that no region is left behind.
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