Kehinde Fajobi
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful despite the country’s challenges, stressing that the obstacles are surmountable.
Jonathan made this statement during the commissioning of the Soybean Plant and Refinery by the CSS Group in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, over the weekend.
He also attended the birthday celebration of Prof. John Kennedy Opara, former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC).
The event saw the presence of dignitaries such as former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma, Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri, former Cross River State Governor Prof. Ben Ayade, former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen, and Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule’s deputy.
Jonathan emphasised the importance of collective effort in nation-building, urging Nigerians to focus on the country’s development rather than migrating abroad. He warned against the increasing trend of migration, also known as “Japa.”
“You don’t need to Japa. Those countries you are running to were built by people. We must build this country together, and invest in it so that the youths can get jobs.
“We must not run away from our responsibilities. This country belongs to all of us, and we must not abandon it,” Jonathan said.
Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri shared Jonathan’s sentiments, adding, “There is hope in Nigeria. So those who want to Japa, please, don’t Japa. Nigeria is a blessed country. If we all key into what the private sector is doing, no one will Japa.”
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), also addressed critical issues of food security, highlighting the urgent need to combat hunger caused by rising food prices.
He stated, “The level of hunger in Nigeria is too high due to very high food price inflation,” and called for increased efforts to boost food production and reduce import dependency.
Recalling his time as Minister of Agriculture, Adesina noted, “There is no doubt that Nigerian farmers can feed Nigeria. They did when I was Minister of Agriculture under President Jonathan. The price of rice at the time was N8,000 per bag; today it is over N100,000 per bag.”
He advocated for bold programmes and policy support for farmers and agribusinesses to strengthen agricultural value chains.
The AfDB, in partnership with the federal government and other stakeholders, is investing $538 million to develop special agro-industrial processing zones in eight states: Cross River, Imo, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, and the FCT.
The second phase of this initiative will cover all remaining 28 states, with a financing target of $1 billion from the AfDB, the Arab Bank for African Economic Development, and the private sector.
Former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma expressed optimism about Nigeria’s role in Africa’s progress, saying, “If positive things happen in Nigeria, we are happy because Africa can only get it right when Nigeria gets it right.”