The convener of The Platform, Nigeria, Poju Oyemade, Senior Pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos has said that Nigeria’s problems were rooted in societal indifference and personal callousness caused by the imperfections of men, and in solving this problem.
“There is a need for a change in government policies, implementations and individuals’ approach to the national issues and concerns,” he said at the during his opening speech at The Platform 2019, themed ‘Re-designing the Nigerian economy with new ideas.’ held on Independence Day at the Covenant Place, at Iganmu, Lagos.
According to Oyemade, Nigerians’ dream for a better Nigeria required nourishment from institutional knowledge gathered over the years. “Which is why we host this programme, and we invite people who can inject information that will make the country achieve the dream of a better Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking Bismarck Rewane, chief executive officer (CEO) Financial Derivatives Limited, said that Nigerians had a lot of ideas, and plans, and also knew the problems facing the economy, but noted that what the economy needed was a mental discipline to learn from the mistakes of the past.
“Our vulnerability has increased because we have not learned from the mistakes of our past and that of other countries,” he said.
Rewane added that things outside the country’s control were more than the things within its control. He pointed out that when the institutions of conflict resolution break down, the result is anarchy. “The social contract between the rulers and the ruled is very important as it’s so cheap to just talk than to act,” said Rewane, a member of the Economic Advisory Council recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to advise him on the economy.
However, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria opined that a better Nigeria was that powered by the country’s greatest asset—human capital plus technology and not one dependent on oil.
“Nigeria urgently needs a new Fiscal Responsibility Act to constrain irresponsible fiscal behaviour and provide incentives to create wealth. A new fiscal regime should ensure that never again shall we need a wholesale bailout of state governments,” said Soludo, also a member of the president’s advisory council.
“What is fundamentally wrong with Nigeria is that we have implemented all kinds of plans, all designed to diversify the economy. But we are still tied to the life-support of the oil sector, without plans for its booming population,” Soludo said.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH
