Immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan has said his era witnessed unprecedented economic growth for Nigeria.
Jonathan, who spoke yesterday to students of Oxford University on youth entrepreneurship, said the country experienced a growth that proved the truism that a nation’s wealth is not underneath the ground but between the ears of her people.
According to the former president, “Nigeria was rated as the largest economy in Africa and the 23rd in the world by the World Bank and the IMF, with a GDP above $570 billion.”
He
stated further: “We identified Nollywood as a sector that can employ many young
people and provided a grant of $200 million to boost the industry. As a result,
Nollywood became a major contributor to our GDP and in 2014, the industry
contributed 1.4 per cent to our GDP.
“Why
do individuals that grow up in similar circumstances end up differently, with
some as successes and others as failures? Why are some nations rich and some
poor? Is the wealth of nations a result of geography, weather, culture, and
destiny? What could a leader do to effectively lift a people out of the depths
of poverty and enable them to achieve prosperity?
“After
much soul searching, I concluded that: wealth is a creation of the human mind
properly prepared by education. Any nation that does not spend its wealth and
resources to develop the capacity of its youths will be forced to use them to
fight insecurity.”
He
challenged “contemporary African leaders to see youth entrepreneurship as a
collective project transcending national boundaries, adding “despite incredible
challenges, Nigerian youths are achieving great things and placing Nigeria
positively in the world map. They inspire us.”
Jonathan
also declared that he “worked for the next generation of Nigerians and not for
the next elections.”
Defending
his administration’s Transformation Agenda, he stressed that it was designed to
engage the latent potential in the entire nation, as well as stimulate and enable
higher productivity.
He
said further: “I am excited to be in the midst of some of the World’s future
leaders to discuss issues relating to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.
The issue of youth entrepreneurship in Africa is very critical, as Africa is
the only continent in which we will witness a population boom.
Most
violent crises in Africa can be traced to a lack of education and opportunities
among its teeming youth population. Studies have revealed that there is a
symbiotic relationship between youth unemployment and youth restiveness.”
“As
a leader, you can decide through your policies to educate the youths, or face
the consequences of failing to do so. The transformation agenda was conceived
to engage the latent potential in the entire nation, and to stimulate and
enable higher productivity.
Source: bloomberg.com
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