OBJ advocates for a 30-year development agenda for Nigeria
Dr. Olurotime Badero, receiving an award from former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, at Why I am Alive Campaign party in Lagos at the weekend, while others watched.
The former Military and Civilian President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has advocated for a 30-year development plan for Nigeria.
He suggested that the agenda should be predicated on seven critical areas, namely: education; health and social well-being; manufacturing and industrialization; infrastructure; agriculture; getting our politics right and improving our standing at regional and international levels.
He made the advocacy in a keynote address titled “The Challenges of Debt and Sustenance of Democracy” at this year’s ‘why I am Alive Campaign’ Party, organized by a Media Personality and Chief Executive Officer of Eureka Production, Caroline Moor, at the weekend in Lagos.
Chief Obasanjo said this is the opportune moment to mobilize the best brains within and outside the country to prepare “A Nigerian Agenda 2050.”
According to him, Agenda 2050, is a thirty year agenda, to make Nigeria become one of the ten leading nations of the world, by United Nation standard, at all socio-economic levels.
“The Agenda must be based on post-oil-and-gas book. Such plan must be fashioned in a way that it becomes a socio-economic contract that will guide any government coming to power in the next thirty years. We have a lot to do beyond partisan politics to get us out of the 25th position among the poorest nations in the world ….
“Such agenda should, among things, be predicated on seven critical areas for which I strongly believe resources can be mobilized and incentivized to make Nigeria a country of hope and glory for every Nigerian and resident of Nigeria by 2050,” OBJ advised.
Obasanjo who expressed fear on Nigeria’s short term economic plans, said “my only fear is that in Nigeria, most economic plans only last minimum four years. And the history of Nigeria seemed to be made to begin with each mostly poorly planned and digested programme like “seven-point agenda”. No nation can transform, develop and grow on such ad-hoc and ill-conceived and digested, inconsistence and unsustainable programme.”
On education, he said, access to quality and continuing relevant education should be the watch word here, adding that “we need to invest heavily in educating our people for the realities of work for today and tomorrow….”
On health and social well-being, he said “we need to reinvent our primary and basic healthcare system as well as encourage universal coverage of our health insurance scheme,” adding that the private sector should be encouraged to establish state-of-the-art medical facilities, treatment from which can be covered by health insurance and/or private payments as currently being taken to India, Europe and America.
Our quest for industrialisation, he said, is now a matter of survival, adding that there is a need to transform our manufacturing sector, providing goods and services for our domestic consumption and exports.
On infrastructure, which includes, availability of power at reasonable price, land and water transpiration, communication, water supply, housing and sanitation must be taken care of.
For food security, nutrition, industrialization through value addition and processing, export and marketing, foreign exchange earnings and employment generation, he said Agric business covers the value chain from manufacturing of equipment for land clearing and land preparation to food on the table, adding that it is the largest sector to provide hope and employment for the youth not only in land clearing to food on the table but also in tourism and hospitality.
On getting our politics right, he said, it will ensure the understanding that politics is a means to an end not an end in itself. “We must be able to ask ourselves what sort of political atmosphere, rhetoric and disposition will help to drive transformation we so desire. We simply cannot have a none-deaf political attitude that is diametrically opposed to the goals of the Nigerian Agenda 2050.”
On the Nigeria standing at the regional and international levels, he said, “God has given us a leading African nation. We have to wear and play that role boldly, assertively and intentionally but mindful of concern and interest of others….”
He said now is the time for bold action, adding that rhetoric and bare minimum reforms will not yield the desired change we want.
The aim of “Why I am Alive Campaign” party, according to the convener, Caroline Moore, is designed to empower young Nigerians for the future by tapping into key lessons from success stories of eminent personalities that have contributed to the social, economic and political growth of Nigeria.
She called on well meaning Nigerians to look inward and give a helping hand to the needy in our midst as a way of supporting the growth of country.
Nigerian youths who distinguished themselves in their field of profession were given awards as a mark of honour for their contribution to the development of the country.
