Oil Wealth Made Us Lazy, Says Senior Advisor Kuol

(JUBA) – Senior Presidential Advisor Kuol Manyang has called on South Sudan’s leaders to realign national priorities with the founding vision of Dr John Garang, by using the country’s oil revenues to support agricultural development.

Speaking to Radio Miraya during commemorations for Martyrs Day, Manyang reflected critically on South Sudan’s overreliance on oil since independence. He said the country’s easy access to oil money had encouraged corruption, weakened productivity, and led to unsustainable debt levels.

“It is true the oil money made us lazy. We didn’t sweat for it, so we mismanaged it,” he said. “Some people became rich through unclear means. We cannot even account for where the money went. Now we are in new debts because of that corruption.”

Manyang’s remarks come amid growing concerns about South Sudan’s food insecurity and its heavy dependence on food imports, even as the country holds significant arable land and receives billions in oil revenues annually.

Manyang called on the government to redirect national resources into large scale farming, purchase of agricultural machinery and rural infrastructure to encourage domestic food production.

“Dr Garang’s vision was to use oil to boost agriculture, to buy tractors, build roads and grow our own food. That is the path we must follow,” he said.

Martyrs Day is marked annually in South Sudan to honour those who died during the struggle for independence. This includes the late Dr John Garang de Mabior, the founding leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), who envisioned using the country’s natural wealth to create a self reliant and food secure nation.

Despite oil being the backbone of South Sudan’s economy, experts and civil society groups have repeatedly urged the government to diversify and invest in productive sectors such as agriculture.

The World Bank estimates that nearly 70 percent of the population faces food insecurity, worsened by conflict, climate shocks and import dependence.