Industrialise Nigeria for Improved Economy, Group Tasks Tinubu

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Media Awareness and Justice Initiative (MAJI) has called on President Bola Tinubu to focus on industrialising Nigeria for an improved economy.

The Coordinator of MAJI, Onyekachi Emmanuel, made the call yesterday during the group sensitisation programme with civil society groups on Digital Inclusion, which was held in Port Harcourt.

Emmanuel, who commended the President Tinubu-led government on the steps taken so far in revitalising the country’s economy, urged the government to open up Nigeria and remove all restrictions that prevent people from innovating and contributing in the building of a better Nigeria.

He also noted that many Nigerians are living below poverty bracket, and urged the government to improve the lives of the people through better innovations that bring about development, especially creating employment for the teeming youths who graduate yearly from the universities.

Emmanuel said: “We commend the new president for taking the steps he has taken, because the indices are now showing well. The economic indices are showing that investors are beginning to have confidence in the system.

“The overall derogation of the naira, overall opening up of the business space, the electric bill, and all other policies are giving investors the confidence to want to reinvest. One of such is WATT Renewable Energy Connection looking to invest $100million in Nigeria by 2024. This is one of the kinds of good investments that are here but it will not benefit the poor.

“We are asking the government to open up the space in such a way that it benefits the  people who live below the poverty bracket. To create policies that is helpful to the poor. The student’s loan is helpful but ideally, Nigerians are going to school, but the problem is that they don’t have employment after school.

“Student loan is good in it sense, but we should also start looking at industrialising Nigeria where people who either have studied in the universities or have learned vocational trade can to use these in an industrialised country and provide value. Because once you start producing and providing value, our naira will improve and investors will come and put more money into the system, by so doing increase our foreign generated revenue, which will also improve the economy.”

Speaking on digital inclusion, Emmanuel said: “We are carrying out a research; this is the initial stage of the research, and how digital inclusion can benefit rural communities and how it can be sustained over a long time.

“We are trying to make structures that will make life easy for the people in the rural areas, a situation where they will be part and parcel of the digital growth of Nigeria.”