Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful and committed to nation-building, emphasizing that the challenges facing the country are surmountable.
Jonathan made the remarks over the weekend in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State during the commissioning of the Soybean Plant and Refinery of the CSS Group and the birthday celebration of Prof. John Kennedy Opara, former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC).
The event attracted prominent figures, including former President of Sierra Leone 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, represented by his deputy.
Addressing the audience, Jonathan discouraged the ongoing trend of migration, popularly referred to as “Japa,” urging Nigerians to focus on developing their homeland.
“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,” he said.
Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri echoed Jonathan’s sentiments, urging Nigerians to remain optimistic about the country’s future.
“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,” Diri said.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), highlighted the severe impact of food price inflation on Nigerians, calling for immediate measures to address the situation.
“The level of hunger in Nigeria is too high due to very high food price inflation. Accelerated efforts are needed to expand food production, lower the price of food commodities, eliminate food import dependency, and support local farmers in Nigeria, to feed Nigeria,” Adesina said.
He recalled achievements during Jonathan’s administration, stating, “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.”
Adesina disclosed that the AfDB and its partners are backing the federal government through a $538 million program to develop special agro-industrial processing zones in eight states, including Cross Rivers, Imo, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, and the FCT. He added that the second phase of the initiative, targeting all remaining 28 states, aims to secure $1 billion in funding from the AfDB, the Arab Bank for African Economic Development, and private sector partners.
