Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, commented on the exclusion of Nigerian students from the Harvard Business School class of 2025 programme, attributing it to Nigeria’s tarnished reputation. In a series of tweets on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, Obi pointed out that despite the programme leader being a Nigerian professor, students from Kenya, Rwanda, Morocco, and Ghana were selected instead.
Obi stated that this exclusion underscores the negative impact of Nigeria’s recent image and attractiveness to international institutions and investors. He emphasized that Nigeria’s declining reputation was evident as Harvard Business School chose 16 countries for its global immersion course but notably excluded Nigeria. The initiative, aimed at teaching students leadership, teamwork, and cross-cultural understanding, selected four African focus countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Morocco, and Ghana.
Obi highlighted that the class of 2025 program showcases the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing between institutions and countries. He expressed hope that Nigeria would recognize its deficiencies and work towards improving its global standing.