The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Thursday charged politicians and leaders across the country to find solutions to the country’s current challenges.
Tinubu, who made the call at the 25th convocation lecture of Lagos State University, Ojo, stressed the importance of nation-building.
Represented at the forum by Lagos Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, the APC chieftain also urged politicians to stop trading blames over the challenges.
He said: “Nigeria’s GDP per capita is ranked 17th in Africa and 131st in the world. According to the World Bank, we are the 7th most populous nation as of 2020. But our economic ranking was not commensurate with the population size. One does not have to be a genius in mathematics to know the difference between 7 and 131.
“Our lack of sustained dynamic economic growth does not lend itself to social stability. Economic slowness and destitution place great pressure on people to migrate in search of opportunities. But too much migration too fast and too unimagined results in people competing and contending against one another on dwindling arable land, which undermines social harmony.
We need a new, more convivial way. A way that will give us the right start at a fair chance for durable prosperity. A large urban population needs a strong manufacturing and industrial base. If not, we invite unemployment, crime, hunger, and poverty to become chronic and severe.
“We must better link formal education with the skills and expertise our business community seeks in modern times.”
