Nigeria’s opposition figure, Peter Obi, has advocated stricter punishment for corrupt leaders in Nigeria, emphasising the need for Nigerians to deal with the leadership crisis plaguing the country.

“Nigeria is being affected by corruption,” Mr Obi said in a courtesy visit to Dele Momodu at his residence on Thursday.

“Maybe we follow what the Chinese people are doing. Make sure that the amount you steal is death sentence; the amount you steal is life imprisonment; the amount you steal isn’t less than 10 years imprisonment.”

Mr Obi said Nigeria’s protracted crises are traceable to lack of quality and citizen-focused leadership, lamenting that people no longer value hard work and productivity in the country.

“People no longer find value in hard work, productivity and entrepreneurship. Today, people without daytime jobs live better than hard working people do. People who have no office live like stars. So it is a crisis. We must deal with the issue of corruption aggressively.”

The former Anambra governor further advocated for massive investment in critical areas of development, stressing the urgent need for compassionate leadership in the country.

“So when you deal with corruption strictly and start investing in critical areas of development which we can achieve by ensuring people we elect have competence, character and compassion. This is because leadership without compassion isn’t leadership. Anything short of citizen-led leadership is a waste of time,” he noted.

Mr Obi’s statement came months after President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria claimed the top spot among a parade of the world’s most ruthless, corrupt leaders.

The infamous award came after the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project called for citizens worldwide to nominate individuals worthy of taking the spotlight for their roles in advancing criminal activities while aggravating poverty.

The group, which coordinates a network of investigative journalists and activists around the world, said the Nigerian leader came third after a vote by participants.

While Kenyan president William Ruto scored the most votes, Mr Tinubu was listed as number three, following former Indonesian president Joko Widodo.