Economy
AGRICULTURAL policies have placed Nigeria on the path to food security, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday.
He said his administration took over a skewed economy where oil contributed 90 per cent foreign exchange earning.
President Buhari spoke at the 18th National Productivity Day and conferment of National Productivity Order of Merit Award on 25 deserving Nigerians and seven organisations in Abuja.
Represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, President Buhari blamed past administrations for not diversifying the economy to create jobs.
He said: “The journey to food security and self-sufficiency is well underway. We have made outstanding progress in almost all segments of the agriculture value chain.
“Consequently, tens of thousands of jobs in agriculture, logistics, manufacturing and real sector are being created.
“This administration inherited a skewed economy, where the oil sector contributed 90 per cent foreign exchange earnings over the years. Past periods of relatively high economic growth were driven by our reliance on oil sector revenues.
“Regrettably, previous administrations abandoned the residual investment-driven non-oil sector, which constituted 40 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that provide millions of jobs for able-bodied Nigerians.
“We shall sustain these policies to ensure additional investments are channelled, thereby creating more jobs in the sector.”
President Buhari said Nigeria has steadily returned to the path of growth.
The country, he said, has risen to 131 in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index from 146 in 2018.
“Our economic diversification programmes are yielding positive results.
“Our ease of doing business policies and programmes are already impacting Micro, Small and Enterprises as well as manufacturing, mining and agriculture, among other key sectors.
“We are now ranked 131 on the World Bank’s 2020 Doing Business Index by moving up 15 places from the 2018 position of 146.
“The nation has also been recognised as one of the most improved economies in the world for running a business. Our country has steadily returned to the path of growth.”
The president said the administration recognised the critical role of infrastructure in ensuring rapid economic growth and development.
“We have, therefore, made massive investments in power, rail and road. The thrust of this administration is to consolidate on the achievements made in the last four years by intensifying efforts on security, restructuring the economy and fighting corruption, correcting the lapses made, tackling emerging challenges facing the country and taking bold steps in transforming our country and setting her on a sound and sustainable path to an enviable height.”
President Buhari urged the awardees to redouble their efforts in serving the nation and humanity.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said that 333 individuals and 84 organisations have benefitted from the award since it began in 1991.
Nigige noted that the award, which is one of the flagship programmes of the government, was designed to institutionalise productivity consciousness and excellence in service among workers and organisations by rewarding innovation, creativity and hard work among Nigerians.
He noted that the aim of the award is to stimulate healthy competition for higher productivity among individual workers and organisations.
Those who received the award include Dangote Group Chairman Alhaji Aliko Dangote, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman Mr Tony Elumelu, Honeywell Group Chairman Oba Otudeko, multiple award-winning columnist/ The Nation Editorial Board Chairman Sam Omatseye, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede and Lagos State University (LASU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Olarenwaju Fagbohun (SAN).
Others are Nigerian Customs Service Comptroller- General Hameed Alli, Channels Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Chief John Momoh, and a former Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama.
Elumelu, the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, promised to continue creating jobs.
After receiving the award, he told newsmen: “We need jobs created in Nigeria to take our young ones off the streets, to reduce insecurity and to promote national development and cohesion.
“I and my other awardees such as Dangote, Oba Otudeko appreciate this gesture. We appreciate this recognition and we pledge to create more jobs for the country.
“We need jobs to be created in Nigeria to take our young ones off the street, to reduce insecurity and promote national development and cohesion.”
Omatseye described the award as a call to higher service.
He said: “I am still trying to soak it in. I have not soaked it in enough but I know that it is a great award; it is my first national award. I have won many awards – internationally and locally but this one is unique because it is given to me by my country.
“There is nothing more honourable than when your own country recognises what you have been doing, both at home and abroad.
“I work hard. Prizes should not define a person. You work hard because you want to work hard. You contribute to society because you want to do it. Prizes should not be the index or the inspiration for good work but it is an encouragement.”
The JAMB Registrar considers the award as a privilege and an honour for doing what he believed would bring about national rebirth.
Prof. Oloyede said: “This award is a call for me to redouble my efforts and ensure high productivity for a better Nigeria.
“Nigeria has done much for me; the near-free education that I received from primary school to the tertiary education compared to what my peers went through to acquire education in other nations.
“The board which I supervise has noted this call for more commitment and is more determined than ever to justify the confidence the public has placed in me and the board.” – The Nation
– Nov. 29, 2019 @ 9:19 GMT |
Tags: Nigeria’s economy on upward swing – Buhari
