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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Support Buhari to actualise your mandate, S/East lawmakers-elect told

    Elected members of National Assembly from South East have been urged to support President Muhammadu Buhari and his party ideals to ensure the actualization of their political mandate to the people.

    Convener, All Progressives Congress (APC) South East Young Progressive Forum, Comrade Paschal Otimkpu, made the appeal in a congratulatory message made available to journalists in Awka Anambra State.

    He said there was no time for personal or self-serving agenda at the detriment of Ndigbo in particular and Nigerians at general.

    Otimkpu urged the lawmakers to be good ambassadors of Ndigbo with renewed resolve to attract more socio-economic development to the state and the region.

    Read Also: Buhari: It will take decades to repair Boko Haram damage

    He said, “All elected National Assembly Members from South East Zone are expected to align with pro-people agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “We urge them to hit the ground running by working closely with the federal government to identify ongoing federal government projects in order to fast track their completion as well as attracting other strategic projects.

    “The federal lawmakers must establish themselves in the National Assembly as loyal and sincere patriots and work, without compromise, for the overall development of the South East and the country at large.”

    The South East lawmakers were also enjoined to close ranks and establish synergy with the state governments in the zone in an attempt to forge a common front in bringing meaningful development to the region.

    They also urged the lawmakers to lobby, where necessary to attract more national presence in the region, assuring them of full support.

    The group maintained that Principal Officers in the National Assembly, especially the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives should be zoned to South East for equity, justice and fairness.

  • African leaders must take drastic measures to tackle underdevelopment – Ngige

    Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has asked African leaders to rise up and take drastic measures to fiercely tackle the myraids of teething problems of underdevelopment bedevilling the country if the continent is to get out of the wood.

    Ngige who spoke at the 3rd Biannual Special Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment under the auspices of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia said if African leaders fail to rise to the occasion, Africans will remain hewers of wood and fetchers of water, stressing that President Muhammadu Buhari has already taken the lead in this direction.

    Ngige said the Buhari administration has made serious efforts in the last four years to chart a new course for Nigeria with the results of that giant strides made manifest in core sectors of agriculture, anti-corruption , employment generation, infrastructural development and war on insurgency.

    He disclosed that the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Buhari administration which is the economic development agenda of the Buhari administration was tailored towards a concurrent growth of the three-tier federal structures of national, states and local governments in line with the diversity of the nation.

    He said the battered economy which the administration met in 2015, slipped into recession in the first and second quarter of 2016, prompting an aggressive economic recovery plan with big emphasis on agriculture and food security.

    Acording to the Minister, “the effects were dramatic. We boosted agriculture and raised the capacity of the nation to feed herself, to the extent that importation of rice for example, dropped by 95%. The same goes for sorghum. This decisive inward look was pivoted on the elastic efforts of government which the Central Bank of Nigeria piloted through the Anchor Borrowers Programme in agriculture.”

    Read Also: INEC shouldn’t be crucified for electoral irregularities – Ngige

    Speaking on the government’s social investments, Ngige said the Home Grown School Feeding Programme has been complementing  the free education policy at the primary, and junior secondary school levels while stemming the incidence of school dropout which he identified as precursor to child labour. The programme he added has captured about N10 million school children in 25 states of the federation.

    He Identified poverty, disease and ignorance as an evil triad that must be fought together, and gave insight into other social investment programmes such as the N-Power under which the Federal Government has employed 500,000 graduates, the N-Build where 50,000 are engaged, the N-Agro, N-Knowledge, N-Health, and N-Build where hundreds of thousands are also employed.

    He also informed the gathering of the Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme which makes interest-free loans available to small businesses  as well as the National Cash Transfer programme (Conditional and Unconditional) to over 1million vulnerable and poor Nigerians, besides the thousands already benefitting from similar programmes by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE)

    According to the minister, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan would have been impossible without the anti-corruption measures such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the whistle blowing policy  which government put in place, thus, shutting down leakages and easing the recovery of stolen funds as well as the efforts of the anti-corruption agencies primed for zero-corruption agenda of the government.

    Similarly, a co-discussant and the Chairperson of Business Africa, Mrs. Jackline Mugo called for a common front to solve Africa’s numerous challenges, while pushing for a change in Africa’s social dialogue as it relates to labour and employment so as to fully tap the full benefits of the  African population, which she termed her wealth.

    Mugo further said Africa can leapfrog from its present commodity dependency if each of the fifty-four countries is able to concentrate on the production of a single product and achieve an optimal international competitive advantage. “You can imagine what it means to have over fifty products from Africa,” arguing it was the route the Asians took.

    Meanwhile the Ministers nominated Nigeria as one of the Titulars members for Africa in the Governing Board of the International Labour Organization when the next election will be held in June 2020.

    Nigeria emerged from West Africa due to her performance since 2017 when Africa put her forward as a Deputy Titular. The Ministers further took particular note of the leading voice which Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment has given to Africa, the very fact that made the ILO elevate him to head government side of the Tripartite even as a Deputy.

     

     

  • Buhari: Banditry has made me world’s unhappiest leader

    President Muhammadu Buhari says the ordeals of victims of the recent cases of banditry in the country have turned him into one of the unhappiest leaders in the world.

    But he vowed to end the situation as security of lives and property remains a priority of his administration.

    He condoled with the victims of such criminal acts and pledged to do whatever it takes to ensure the country’s security system confronts these public enemies’ with merciless determination.

    “How can I be happy and indifferent to the senseless killings of my fellow citizens by bandits?,” Buhari’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu quoted  him as saying yesterday in a statement.

    He added:”I am human and I understand the pains of the victims and their families who have been traumatized and impoverished by constant ransom demands by bandits.

    “The politicisation of tragedy reveals the darkest sides of our primitive politics. Almost every week, I summon my security chiefs to get an update on the strategies being devised to defeat these mass murderers.

    “There is no issue that dominates my mind every 24 hours like security because, as an elected President, protecting the citizens of my country is one of the primary functions of my administration.

    “I constantly listen to our security personnel in order to understand their problems and needs, and I have never hesitated to attend to those needs in terms of motivating and equipping them to respond effectively to our security challenges.

    “It is therefore ridiculous to suggest that I am indifferent to these killings. I have ordered rapid and robust deployment of troops to all the areas currently under attack from bandits and we are determined to tackle this challenge ferociously until these remorseless killers are crushed and utterly defeated,” the President said.

    President Buhari asked communities where banditry is active to support and cooperate with the security agencies, particularly the recently launched Operation Puff Adder to battle bandits and kidnappers.

    The President said it was regrettable that bandits have informants within some communities and utterly reprehensible that certain communities have signed protection deals with bandits at the expense of other communities, thereby creating complications and frustrating government’s intervention

    He appealed to communities to report suspicious movements of the bandits into their areas within the shortest available opportunity, especially considering the fact that  intelligence is critical to detecting, frustrating, neutralising and defeating the criminals.

  • Buhari committed in the fight against corruption, says youth group

    The Youth Project for the Promotion of Democracy and Good Governance (YPPDGG) has called on Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s ambition to rid the country of corruption and poverty.

    In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Shuaibu Mustapha and made available to journalists in Kano, the group urged Nigerians to restore their confidence in the leadership of President Buhari, insisting that his re-election will bring better tides for the country.

    According to the Statement, “We want to seize this opportunity to commend Nigerians for giving President Buhari another mandate. We are not unaware of the perceived sufferings of the masses. In any case, we want to urge Nigerians to remain resolute and pitch their tent with the desire of the ruling All Progress Congress (APC) government to take our great nation to the Next Level.

    Read Also: Unemployment: Nigeria needs skillful youths – Buhari

    “President Muhammadu Buhari’s government should be appreciated in somewhat ways such as the N-Power programme which has directly and indirectly touched the lives of the Nigerian youths. In spite of the undue propanganda being peddled by the opposition, Buhari’s government has recorded huge achievements in agriculture, infrastructural development, power and technology.

    “We have persistently observed the tremendous efforts being put in place by the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, His Excellency, Dr. Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu which has continued to empower Nigerian youths.”

    The group noted that, “the Ministry of Science and Technology under Ogbonnaya Onu  has remained committed towards intensifying research and innovation, as well as, increase the awareness among the people in the country of the importance of science and technology to their daily needs.”

    The group also commended President Buhari for his unrelenting efforts in the fight against corruption and called on Nigerians to lend their support to incumbent government in that regard.

    On the issue of insecurity, the group hailed President Buhari’s resolve to stamp out terrorism, kidnapping and youth restiveness, pointing out that Nigeria can only get better when Nigerians see the fight against insecurity as a personal project.

     

     

  • Group to FG: Reform almajiri, curb extremism

    The Federal government has been advised to take urgent steps in integrating almajiri boys into the conventional school system as a radical way to stem the tide of extremism and violence in the country.

    Almajiri, a system in much of the  North whereby male children are encouraged by parents to go for Islamic education in distant lands where they become street children fending for themselves away from parental care, is believed to account largely for extremism and violence around the North, as they are often easily used by evil-minded people for anti-social pursuits.

    A coalition of groups which articulated the position on the almajiri system against escalating violent crimes in the country, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to implement ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’s Almajiri integration initiative.

    The Project Manager of ‘Almajiri Is Also A Child’, Iliyasu Usman, made the appeal while launching an advocacy  for the vulnerable children in Yola on Saturday.

    Read Also: Reps pass ‘Anti- Almajiri’ Bill

    He said, the  Goodluck Jonathan administration built many integrated schools across the North to absorb a good number of the traditional almajiri children for combined Islamic cum western education aimed at giving the children all-round education for a more promising future, but the Buhari government has done little to further the initiative.

    Usman reiterated that continuing neglect of the initiative was a mistake, as almajiris have been found to be directly involved in alarming rate of violent extremism around the country.

    As if to give credence to this long held belief that the almajiri system has become a manpower source for groups like Boko Haram, a group notorious for violent crimes in Adamawa State, ‘Shilla-Boys,’ was recently tauted as being notorious for recruiting almajiri boys into their fold.

    Usman said Yola was chosen to start the advocacy due to its large numbers of almajiri tutorial system, and ensured that the over 500 almajiris who attended the launch went home with a bathroom slippers each.

    Adamawa State is said to be home to about 200,000 almajiri destitute children, most of them from other northern states. The number is part of UNICEF’s annual report on Nigeria, which puts 2,711,767 as the number of almajiris from the Northeast, representing 25 per cent of the total 9.5 million almajiri population  in Nigeria.

    This almajiri population represents 72 per cent of the country’s 13.2 million out of school children.

  • FG set to inaugurate school feeding programme in Ekiti

    All is now set for the inauguration of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme of  the Federal Government in Ekiti, the News Agency of Nigeria  (NAN) reports.

    Mr Ademola Obanise, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Home Grown School Feeding programme, gave the indication in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday while inspecting cooking materials to be distributed to selected vendors that would be engaged under the initiative.

    The governor’s aide  said pupils between Primary One and Primary Three would be fed under the programme, adding that the state government had keyed into the Federal Government initiative.

    Read Also: Ekiti Assembly confirms 13 commissioner-nominees

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr James Owolabi, said government had prioritised the feeding programme for the pupils to start benefitting immediately.

    He, however,  clarified that the feeding exercise would be carried out once in a day.

    Owolabi emphasised the need for a balanced diet for the pupils, saying this would help in no small measure to refresh their memories for quick assimilation.

    NAN reports that the school feeding programme is part of a N500 billion funded Social Investment Programme announced by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    The administration had said the programme was aimed at tackling poverty in homes as well as improving the health and education status  of children and other vulnerable groups.

    NAN

  • Abia APC counters moves to reappoint Enelamah minister

    The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disassociated itself from the moves by the President Muhammadu Buhari government to name Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah, current Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment as a member of his new government.

    The party who accused Enelamah of being less concerned with activities of the party in the state in the last three years, also called on the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to ensure that Abia gets a minister who is committed to the interest and growth of party in the next Federal Cabinet.

    The APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Comrade Benedict Godson while addressing journalists said that most of the problems faced by the party in the state during the last election were due to Enelamah’s non-commitment and lackadaisical approach to the party’s issues.

    “We have a minister on paper, but nobody feels his Impact. Throughout the campaigns, he showed no interest. He supposed to help in the building of this party, but he has remained unconcerned and lackadaisical to the interest of APC. He’s practically not an APC member.

    Read Also: SAN faults transfer of Abia APC tussle suit

    “Now he is being projected again to return as a minister which should not be so. We disown him because he’s a saboteur to our party here in Abia. His attitude is serving the interest of the opposition.

    “We call for his immediate removal and as for the plans of reappointing him, we wish to tell the presidency that APC is too big with so many qualified members for us to be appointing none members.”

    Speaking further, Godson said, “Enelamah is not a member of our party and should not be appointed as a minister again. No APC member in Abia knows his way about.

    “He has never attended any APC meeting. He kept saying he is a democrat and not a politician, but the issue here is if people didn’t bring out themselves to work, campaign and mobilize for APC would he be waiting for appointment now?

    “If everyone had remained nonchalant, unconcerned and relaxed as he was and claimed that they’re all not politicians, would APC had won the election? We must call a spade a spade you cannot reap where you didn’t sow.

    “We are saying that he should be replaced with a real APC man who believes in the interest of the party and has worked for the growth of the party. He was used against us by the opposition who usually celebrate that Abia APC is missing in the Federal Executive Council and that they have the man’s support in the state.

    “We are therefore calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, our Party Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and the leader of our party in Abia, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu to look into this matter and safe the party from impending trouble should Enelamah be reinstated.

    “Another issue is that this minister is also from the same constituency with Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Dr. Uzoma Elizabeth Ikechi Emenike who also doesn’t do anything for the party after getting appointment with the platform of APC. There are many qualified APC members all over Abia.

    “How can this party grow to the desired level when people who ought to make things easier believe that they can get appointed to any position by sitting on the fence? We can on all those concerned to look into this matter and save our party for future opportunities ahead.”

  • Unemployment: Nigeria needs skillful youths – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said that Nigeria at this point requires the youths to be highly skillful in order to solve the problem of unemployment, security and youth restiveness.

    The President, who was a Visitor at the 31st Convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), stated that the era of handing certificates to graduates without self-sustaining skills is no longer sustainable.

    Buhari who was represented by the State Minister of Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, observed that the growth and establishment of new industries to absorb the graduates is rather too slow.

    Read Also: Buhari for Jordan, Dubai events

    According to him, “there is a need to re-double efforts in turning out graduates with self-sustaining, globally competitive skills and talents for the realization of national goals of building a free, democratic, just and egalitarian society, a united, strong and self-reliant nation”.

    He continued that, “our universities are also challenged to key into modern trends in Computing and Information Technology, Cyber security, artificial intelligence, solar and alternative energies and modern biomedical technology, which is where the future is headed”.

    The President assured that, “on our part as government, we remain committed to changing the negative narratives of our universities by making effective and efficient policies that will place our higher education at the right pedestal”.

    He disclosed further that the Federal Government has completed the energy audit of 37 Federal Universities and is set to award the contracts for the commencement of Independent Power Plants in those Universities, “when completed, it will put an end to the perennial problem of power challenge in all Federal Universities in Nigeria”.

    Earlier in his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Francis Eze, said that the University within the available resources has continued to provide facilities and equipment for effective teaching, learning and research.

    He however noted that the University urgently needs a befitting Senate building, staff quarters, a sustainable power supply and refurbishment of existing old buildings and other facilities.

    Meanwhile, 2,506 were awarded with degrees with 42 bagging First Class Honours.

     

  • Gaps in social, economic opportunities fueling terrorism, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on  Saturday in Dead Sea, Jordan, urged world leaders to work towards narrowing gaps in social and economic opportunities for citizens as panacea to rising conflicts across the globe, attributing the Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria to lack of inclusion.

    Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Middle East and North Africa, the President, who honoured an invitation by King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, said rising opportunities of prosperity for some people while others struggle to survive trigger tensions and conflicts.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said “It is at this point that we must ask ourselves how we, as a region, got to this point. The answer, at least in the case of Nigeria, is the lack of social and economic inclusion.

    “As Nigeria celebrated being the largest economy in Africa and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Nigerians were migrating in droves through harsh desert conditions and across treacherous seas to seek what they believe would be a better life in Europe.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, I strongly believe that the lack of social and economic inclusion was the root cause of many challenges we are experiencing,’’ he said.

    President Buhari said the changes taking place across the world in technology, population, migration, trade and geo-politics had been yielding both positive and negative results in different parts of the world, calling for more collaboration across borders to alter tides of frustrations that fuel conflicts.

    “It is my view, that no region of the world has felt the full impact of these dramatic shifts and shocks like the Middle East and Africa – North and Sub-Sahara.

    “On one hand, our region is blessed with a very young, vibrant, enterprising and dynamic population. We also have valuable natural resources that are the envy of many nations.

    Read Also: Photos: Buhari arrives Jordan for World Economic Forum

    “These assets and endowments contributed to our region experiencing some of the highest economic growth rates in the world. On the other hand, however, we have also been hosts to some of the deadliest conflicts in recent history. The deaths, damages and destructions caused by terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram over the last ten years will take decades to repair,’’ he added.

    President Buhari said terrorism around the world, including Boko Haram, had been significantly degraded, stressing that the insurgents no longer control any territory in Nigeria, but the country had been left with the task of rebuilding.

    “In this digital age where physical borders no longer exist to protect even the most secured nations, the only way to overcome predatory and divisionary forces is for all well-meaning nations to work together for the greater good of mankind.

    “Simply put, cooperation amongst sovereign nations is no longer a choice. It is an absolute necessity,’’ the President said.

    He told the gathering of leaders, entrepreneurs and economic experts that Nigeria’s population is one hundred and ninety million, and by 2050, estimated to hit three hundred and ninety million, making it the third most populous country in the world.

    President Buhari said he spent the last four years tackling security issues in the country and implementing policies that make the economy more inclusive.

    “We are extremely grateful to the many countries that have stood with Nigeria to confront this global scourge and in particular, the Kingdom of Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty, the King.

    “Furthermore, our economic diversification and social inclusion policies are also yielding positive results. Our country has now returned to the path of growth. We are making gains in the ease of doing business indices.

    The President said the agricultural sector in Nigeria is driving government’s efforts to diversify the economy, adding that “in the spirit of “Building New Platforms of Cooperation’, we partnered with the Kingdom of Morocco to domesticate fertilizer production in Nigeria and revive over two million tons of abandoned fertilizer blending plant capacity. The outcome is we created tens of thousands of jobs in agriculture, logistics, manufacturing and retail sectors.’’

    He said Nigeria had achieved moderate and inclusive growth in four years.

    President Buhari said Africa and the Middle East must focus on policies that deliver shared economic prosperity for all citizens, adding that more could be done on trade and investments.

    “Opportunities exist in key job creating sectors such as Agriculture, Health, Tourism, ICT, Infrastructure as well as Textile and garmenting to mention a few. Our new, inclusive and diversified Nigeria is definitely open for business. Our population, resources, policies and programs make it the most attractive investment destination in Africa,’’ he said.

    In his welcoming remarks, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan said inclusive growth will be of benefit to the entire world, especially when it creates enabling environment for youths and women.

    The king of Jordan said opportunities must be expanded fast, while noting that “the challenges we face are not only problems to be solved rather they are opportunities for collaboration.’’

    UN Secretary General Secretary-General António Guterres said the world will be better off with stronger collaboration, commending Jordan for playing a historical role in restoring peace in the Middle East, especially between Israel and Palestine.

    The founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Professor Klaus Schwab, who congratulated President Buhari for his re-election for a second term, said discussions at the forum will focus on new ideas, entrepreneurship, innovation, environment, peace and reconciliation.

  • Global cooperation inevitable to defeat terrorism, other challenges – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday declared that the only way to defeat predatory and divisionary forces globally was cooperation among nations.

    He spoke in Jordan at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, with the theme of “Building New Platforms of Cooperation”.

    President Buhari noted that the global problems are compounded by physical borders that no longer exist to protect even the most secured nations in the current digital age.

    He said “In this digital age where physical borders no longer exist to protect even the most secured nations, the only way to overcome predatory and divisionary forces is for all well-meaning nations to work together for the greater good of mankind.

    “Simply put, cooperation amongst sovereign nations is no longer a choice. It is an absolute necessity,” he said

    According to him, the world in the last ten years has completely changed.

    He said “We have seen and experienced significant shifts on many fronts. In Technology; Population and Migration; Trade and Geopolitics; Climate change; and many more.

    “For some nations, these trends have had positive impacts. But of course, we have also seen the negative and destructive outcomes of these trends in other countries.

    Read Also: Buhari keeping promises, says presidency

    “It is my view, that no region of the world has felt the full impact of these dramatic shifts and shocks like the Middle East and Africa – North and Sub-Sahara.

    “On one hand, our region is blessed with a very young, vibrant, enterprising and dynamic population. We also have valuable natural resources that are the envy of many nations,” he said

    These assets and endowments, he said, has contributed to Nigeria’s region experiencing some of the highest economic growth rates in the world.

    On the other hand, he pointed out that the region has also been hosts to some of the deadliest conflicts in recent history.

    Lack of social and economic inclusion, he said, are mainly responsible for the problem.

    He said “The deaths, damage and destruction caused by terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram over the last ten years will take decades to repair.

    “By the special grace of God, today, most of these terrorist organizations have been significantly degraded. The world came together to achieve this. Now, we are faced with the task of rebuilding.

    “It is at this point that we must ask ourselves how we, as a region, got to this point. The answer, at least in the case of Nigeria, is the lack of social and economic inclusion.

    “As Nigeria celebrated being the largest economy in Africa and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Nigerians were migrating in droves through harsh desert conditions and across treacherous seas to seek what they believe would be a better life in Europe.

    “I strongly believe that the lack of social and economic inclusion was the root cause of many challenges we are experiencing.”

    Efforts, he said, must be put in place to start engaging the increasing population, productively.

    “Today, our population is one hundred and ninety million people. By 2050, it is estimated that we hit three hundred and ninety million making us the third most populous country in the world. This means we must start working now to ensure this population is productively engaged.”

    He said that Nigeria in the last four years focused on security while implementing inclusive policies.

    He added “On the security front, we made significant gains in fighting Boko Haram. We have recaptured all territories held by Boko Haram in 2014. We have liberated thousands of Nigerians held against their will.

    “Today, I am pleased to say no territory in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is held or controlled by Boko Haram. We are extremely grateful to the many countries that have stood with Nigeria to confront this global scourge and in particular, the Kingdom of Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty, the King.

    “Furthermore, our economic diversification and social inclusion policies are also yielding positive results. Our country has now returned to the path of growth. We are making gains in the ease of doing business indices.

    “A key driver for growth is the agricultural sector where we aggressively pushed agricultural policies that empowered millions of our rural citizens.

    “In the spirit of “Building New Platforms of Cooperation”, we partnered with the Kingdom of Morocco to domesticate fertilizer production in Nigeria and revive over two million tons of abandoned fertilizer blending plant capacity.

    “The outcome is we created tens of thousands of jobs in agriculture, logistics, manufacturing and retail sectors. We are able to achieve moderate growth. But it was inclusive.

    “Nigeria is now at a new dawn and embarking on a new development trajectory. We are determined to industrialise Nigeria leveraging our comparative advantage.

    “We recognize the private sector as the engine of growth and a veritable partner in our economic agenda. The Middle East is a natural partner.”

    Africa and the Middle East, he said, must therefore focus on policies that will deliver shared economic prosperity for the citizens.

    “On trade and investments for example, we can do more. Africa represents only five percent of Jordan’s trade with the world. But we have the resources, the people and the markets to do more.

    “Opportunities exist in key job creating sectors such as Agriculture, Health, Tourism, ICT, Infrastructure as well as Textile and garmenting to mention a few.

    “Our new, inclusive and diversified Nigeria is definitely open for business. Our population, resources, policies and programs make it the most attractive investment destination in Africa.

    “As friends and allies, we must therefore cooperate and leverage on our relative strengths. We must remain open to “Building New Platforms of Cooperation”.

    “As we deliberate over the next two days, I would ask all leaders present to reflect on our collective experiences. We must identify how we can work together.

    “Today, we are living in a new world. In this new world without borders, my personal view is stability and sustainability can only be achieved through inclusive economic growth, and enhanced cooperation amongst nations,” he stated.