|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has emphasized the importance of wholehearted contribution of Indian society to the growth, development and efforts towards self-reliance of the Nigerian economy.
He made this charge during an interactive session with Indian Professional Forum at his presidential library, Abeokuta, Ogun state.
The former president noted that he personally has many sweet memories of India during his military training in Pune and other parts of the country. He further added that he always admired India’s growth and the steps it had taken to make itself self-reliance in almost all sectors of the economy stressing that Nigeria and India share a deep bond and have many similarities.
“There is a plethora of Indian businesses that are in partnership with indigenous Nigerian businesses and are doing extremely well. They are spread all over Nigeria in almost all sectors, and even some in Abeokuta, which is very encouraging. Some sectors where India can further enhance their positive roles are education, medical, automobile industry, agriculture etc.”
Obasanjo, stressed further that by active coordination and learning from the Indian model, the desired growth can be achieved in a very short span of time.
He admitted that Indian experts doing business in Nigeria are the second largest employers after the government sector therefore contributing greatly to the growth and development of the economy. According to him, there are also some bad elements who engaged in unfair practice in the country and he urged Indian Professionals to monitor the activities of such fellows and their companies, and ensure they followed legitimate practice in all their undertakings.
On his part, the President, India Professional Forum, Dinesh Rathi said the forum was founded in 1994 to create a platform to project the positive image of Indians in Nigeria.
It provides its members with an opportunity to interact with the experienced, well known professionals, policy makers and other known personalities of their respective fields in Nigeria as well as Indian Professionals on their visit to Nigeria, on periodical basis in order to provide them with various social and business opportunities.
