A socio-economic group, Advocate for Equity and Fairness, has said West African countries deserve to fill some current African Union Commission (AUC) vacancies, following their contribution to Africa’s socio-economic growth.
The group noted in particular last February’s report by global auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers which named Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy for the second time consecutively.
It said this rating confirmed the country and by extension the region as an economic hub in Africa and an emerging powerhouse.
The group stated this in a statement signed by its Chairperson, Jane Thompson.
“Statistics shows that Nigeria is Africa‘s most populous country and the political and economic powerhouse of West Africa. It is the world’s seventh largest exporter of oil,” Thompson said.
She observed that Nigeria attained this “exalted position” not because it did not face daunting challenges in the economic and other critical sectors but for the remarkable contributions of some experts and technocrats.”
The experts and technocrats, she noted, included former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Akinwunmi Adesina, Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chukwuma Soludo, and Sanusi L. Sanusi, Oby Ezekwesili and the late Dora Akunyili.
She added: “Also, of recent, Mr. Ebiekure Eradiri, who has brought his wealth of experience to bear in repositioning the Bayelsa State Small and Medium Scales Enterprises.”
The statement added: “Okonjo-Iweala, who served both President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan, cut her teeth at the World Bank where she spent 25-years as a Development Economist and rose through the ranks to the number two position of Managing Director, Operations.
“Another contributor to Nigeria’s success story is the President of the African Development Bank, Akin-wunmi Adesina, who is the first Nigerian to hold that position. He was named as Forbes African Man of the Year for his landmark reforms in the Nigerian agricultural sector. Changing the narrative in the sector and attracting investors into the sector.”
“Similarly, the impactful tenure of Soludo and Sanusi as heads of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN is not in doubt. The indelible mark they left in coordinating Nigeria’s fiscal policy is there for all to see. The former was recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari into the Economic Team. This can only be in recognition of the role he played while in office.
“Also, Mr. Ebiekure, Eradiri, a graduate of Chemical Engineering in Nigeria who after a short stint in Oil and Gas operations as field Engineer with International Oil Companies ventured into the Entrepreneur world outstanding a chain of company activities in Stromberg Holdings with activities in facility management/ Real Estate Services, Lubricants/ Petroleum Fluids, Specialists Engineering and Slickline Services.
“He further advanced as Bayelsa state consultant on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development attaining the status of Train the Trainer with SMEDAN Abuja.
Aside its large economy, Thompson noted Nigeria’s history of political clout on the continent and its “critical role of a big brother to other African countries.
“It championed the fight against apartheid rule in South Africa, white minority rule in Zimbabwe, peacekeeping missions in troubled West African states – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire. A good example is its call for a robust economic co-operation among African nations during a meeting of the Organisation of Africa Union (OAU) in 1970 despite being under a military regime,” she said.