Stakeholders discuss economic growth
By Kusoro Jeremiah
Stakeholders in various sectors of the economy have unanimously agreed that the economic divide between the North and the South is responsible for the instability in Nigeria.
This was one of the topics of discussion at the Nigerian Economic Summit, a two-day event organised in Lagos by the London-based Economist magazine.
The programme, entitled, ‘Turning growth into prosperity’, delved into key points on how Nigeria had become a hub for Foreign Direct Investment for both the Eastern and Western world powers, and the need for a proper strategy for the country to promote trade and commerce with its neighbours and major international partners.
A statement by the organisers quoted the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, as stating that the current growth in the country’s Information and Communications Technology sector was sustainable, adding that the growth could be harnessed and leveraged to deliver on the transformational opportunities in Nigeria.
She stated that by effectively executing Nigeria’s national strategic agenda for the sector, the ICT could be leveraged to drive and sustain the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria.
“With the exception of a couple of sub-sectors, the 26 key sectors that make up the ICT sector are positioned for high to medium growth and in turn have high to medium capacity to create jobs and wealth,” Johnson said.
In a submission, the Chinese government’s representative on African Affairs, Mr. Zhong Jianhua, said economic transformation in Nigeria and Africa had been effective in the past decade and this had contributed positively to the economic growth.
He urged the Federal Government to create more enabling environment for investors around the world to enhance development in the country.
Commenting on the outcome of the summit, the Executive Director of The Economist, Mr. Daniel Franklin said,
“This year’s summit brought together over 350 leaders drawn from different walks of life, including Nigeria’s public and private sectors, international business players and investors for a discussion on how Nigeria can turn its economic growth into social and political prosperity.”
