Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as “the worst place to be born”, citing poverty, insecurity, unemployment and hunger among the challenges confronting the country.

Obi made the assertion in his Independence Day message on Thursday, as Nigeria marked its 66th Independence Anniversary.

The former Anambra State governor criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, saying the country continued to face serious difficulties despite promises made in 2023.

According to him, more than 140 million Nigerians are living in poverty and hardship, while the country also faces a large population of out-of-school children and persistent insecurity caused by banditry and kidnapping.

Obi also expressed concern over hunger and cited Nigeria's ranking in global hunger assessments. He said food organisations had warned that 40 million Nigerians could face extreme hunger by the end of the year.

The NDC candidate further raised concerns about infant and maternal mortality, as well as youth unemployment and drug prevalence.

“Today, Nigeria is the worst place to be born. Our youth unemployment is the highest; over 35 million youths are unemployed,” he said.

Obi's comments came shortly after President Bola Tinubu's Independence Day address, in which the President said Nigeria had moved beyond the difficult phase of his economic reforms and was entering an “age of prosperity.”

Tinubu said the “emergency treatment is over” and that the foundation of the economy had been repaired, adding that the country's focus had shifted towards achieving “shared and widespread prosperity.”

He also declared that “Nigeria has corrected its course”, saying the country had passed through its difficult period and should now look forward.