Peter Obi has recounted a visit to Indonesia during which he said he met with the country’s president and other senior government officials to understand its development model.
Speaking in a video shared by Advocacy for Good Governance on Sunday, July 12, 2026, Obi said the trip was inspired by a book comparing the development of Nigeria and Indonesia. He explained that after meeting the book’s author in the United States, he travelled to Indonesia, where he held discussions with ministers, the vice president, and the president.
According to Obi, he observed the absence of widespread street begging despite Indonesia having the world’s largest Muslim population.
“Indonesia is the country with the highest number of Muslims on the surface of the earth… I asked the president, ‘Why don’t you have people who are begging all over the place because it’s a Muslim culture?'” he said.
Obi said the Indonesian president attributed the situation to the country’s investment in education and industrial development, explaining that employment opportunities created by factories had reduced the need for street begging. Obi said the response highlighted the importance of investing in education and productive industries to drive economic development.
