Peter Obi has urged the European Union to give “special attention” to North-East and North-West geopolitical regions ravaged by “criminality and hardship.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Obi said, “I met with the new EU Ambassador, Gautier Mignot, @GautierMignot2, who briefed me on the invaluable work the EU is doing in Nigeria — especially in the North-East and North-West in critical areas of development such as education, health, agriculture, and efforts around the Lake Chad Basin.”

Commending the EU for its work in the area, Mr Obi said the northern region deserved “special attention” having been ravaged by criminality and economic hardship.

“I was particularly elated by their concentration in the North-East and North-West, which, for me, deserves special attention,” Mr Obi said.

The former Anambra governor added, “I also commend their commitment to critical areas of development that can help in educating, and pulling out of poverty and increase productivity, particularly in agriculture, which will reduce the root causes of the criminality and hardship experienced in these regions.”

He “urged the EU not to relent in the good work they are doing to help turn Nigeria around. I believe that with all this support—combined with good governance, competent leadership with capacity, and compassion, we can turn Nigeria around.”

Terrorists and bandits have ravaged the North-East and North-West. The United Nations Development Programme estimated that about 350,000 persons have been killed by Boko Haram insurgents.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Boko Haram conflict displaced about 2.2 million people in the Northeast, the vast majority–over 1.8 million—in Borno as of July 2022.