ABUJA –Prince Adewole Adebayo, a former Presidential candidate, has asserted that Nigeria’s pervasive poverty is a result of leadership failure, not a lack of resources, stating the nation is sitting on immense “hidden treasures” waiting to be harnessed.
Adebayo made the declaration on Friday in Abuja as the chief launcher at the public presentation of The Hidden Treasures, a book authored by Deacon Chris Iyowaye. He argued that every part of Nigeria holds sufficient human and natural wealth to guarantee national prosperity if properly managed.
“Nigeria is too blessed to be poor. Every square inch of this country contains treasure—human, mineral, solid, liquid, surface and subterranean,” Adebayo stated. “It is impossible for a country with this level of endowment to be poor. Some treasures appear hidden because leadership has been blind to them.
He identified the Niger Delta as a prime example of Nigeria’s strategic value and untapped potential, noting that the region has sustained the national economy and global energy markets for over a century.
“The Niger Delta carries resources that many nations can only dream of,” he said. “Nigeria must repay the Niger Delta with gratitude and development.”
Adebayo emphasized that the nation’s transformation hinges on internal discovery and innovation rather than reliance on external aid or solutions.
“The world is eager to exploit our resources because they see what we fail to see,” he said. “Leadership must stop waiting for windfalls. We must collectively discover, refine and deploy our treasures.”
Author Envisions a Post-Oil Future for Niger Delta
The author of the book, Deacon Chris Iyowaye, explained that The Hidden Treasures is the product of nearly two decades of research and is intended to redefine the narrative around the Niger Delta, shifting the focus from conflict and oil to its vast untapped potential.
He described the region as “a reservoir of brilliance” and warned that global shifts away from hydrocarbons make it imperative for Nigeria to prepare for a post-oil economy.
“Beyond oil and gas, there are treasures—solid minerals, marine resources, agriculture, and human capital—waiting to be responsibly harnessed,” Iyowaye said. “The tragedy is not the absence of wealth, but our failure to develop it.”
He announced that the book provides the conceptual foundation for the New Crete Oil Foundation, an initiative that will channel proceeds from book sales into community development projects in the Niger Delta. These projects will focus on providing clean drinking water, training women in modern agriculture, and funding youth leadership and educational programs.
“If we do not invest in our people, we have no moral right to speak of transformation,” Iyowaye stated. “This project is not just a publication—it is a commitment to shaping a better future.”
