Former President Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to Nigerian youths not to leave the country despite the current challenges, stressing that with determination, they would become a thing of the past.
He stated this over the weekend during the commissioning of the Soybean Plant and Refinery of the CSS Group and the birthday celebration of Prof. John Kennedy Opara, former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Jonathan reiterated the importance of collective effort in nation-building, and cautioned against the increasing trend of migration, popularly called, “Japa,” calling on Nigerians to join hand in the development of the country.
He said, “You don’t need to Japa. Those countries you are running to were built by people. We must build this country together, and invest in it so that the youths can get jobs. We must not run away from our responsibilities. This country belongs to all of us, and we must not abandon it.”
ALSO READ: Economic reforms: ‘Not a good idea to japa,’ Cardoso tells Nigerians
Similarly, Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State said, “There is hope in Nigeria. So those who want to Japa, please, don’t Japa. Nigeria is a blessed country. If we all key into what the private sector is doing, no one will Japa.”
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) called for urgent action to ameliorate hunger caused by high food price inflation.
He said, “The level of hunger in Nigeria is too high due to very high food price inflation,” stressing the need for accelerated efforts to expand food production, lower food costs, reduce import dependency, and support local farmers.
“There is no doubt that Nigerian farmers can feed Nigeria. They did when I was Minister of Agriculture under President Jonathan. The price of rice at the time was N8,000 per bag; today it is over N100,000 per bag,” Adesina recalled.
He urged the authorities to provide bold programmes and policy support for farmers and agribusinesses to develop agricultural value chains.
According to him, the African Development Bank, in partnership with the Federal Government and other stakeholders, is implementing a $538 million programme to develop special agro-industrial processing zones in eight states – Cross River, Imo, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, and the FCT.
Adesina highlighted that “The second phase of the special agro-industrial processing zones will cover all remaining 28 states in Nigeria. The SAPZ-Phase II is planned with a financing target of $1 billion, from the African Development Bank, the Arab Bank for African Economic Development, and the private sector.”
Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma optimistic about Nigeria’s role in Africa’s progress, said, “If positive things happen in Nigeria, we are happy because Africa can only get it right when Nigeria gets it right.”
The event attracted many dignitaries including former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma; Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri; former Cross River State Governor Prof. Ben Ayade; former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen, and Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, represented by his deputy.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE