If Nigeria is to avert hunger and provide its growing population of over 192, 000, 000, by United Nation’s estimate with productive jobs and rising incomes, its economies have to grow by at least, five to six percent annually. To say the least, this must however, be the minimum target, which can be increased.
The root source of this growth can be got from no other source than agricultural production. This is based on the fact that our country, Nigeria is blessed with arable soil and good climatic conditions all year round. This, in turn, can sustain, among others, domestic and industrial food revolution. Nigeria could then, not only meet its agricultural requirements but also generate the foreign exchange needed for the development of other sectors of the economy. The wants of the masses such as, infrastructural development, healthcare, housing, entrepreneurship, sustainable energy and other could be satisfied.
To meet these targets, Nigeria needs a youthful, energetic, competent, transparent and incorruptible leader. Many leaders in Nigerian political hemisphere today are competent but few qualify as having the remarkable attributes of the leader that Nigeria as a nation needs.
To pilot the affairs of the modern day Nigeria and eschew awareness, decisiveness, empathy, accountability, confidence, optimism, honesty, focus and inspiration amass to successful failure. This is why things are not what they should be today.
Nigeria today needs a personality that can address its problems in both the private and public sectors of the economy with genuine concern. Not just a personality but also a charming personality as is being seen in France and other European countries currently.
Also, the recent awareness of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunnusi, a man in his forties with all his achievements is a clear indication that the power to gear the country to the Promise Land lies in the hands of the youths. Yes, the onus, burden, encumbrance of the Nigeria state lies in the emergence of a youthful global icon with the captivating personality earlier mentioned.
It is not a myth that Nigeria is endowed with abundant mineral resources in varieties. Talk of bauxite, lead, aluminum, coal, crude oil, tin, columbite and the rest of them, Nigeria is blessed. Initial analysis has shown that the potential of these resources has not been fully realised over the years. All attention has been on crude oil, which has been a mixed blessing to Nigeria. Yet, the revenue generated from harnessing this crude oil has not been properly utilised to address the need of the people. Corruption and ineptitude have been its attendant benefits. Results have shown that our country with its massive mineral deposits have grown no faster than those without one.
Therefore, as the build-up towards the 2019 presidential election begins, we pray that upsets that brought about the emergence in France and Gambia with two youthful leadership, will sweep across Africa and Nigeria in particular to give us a vibrant, dedicated, intelligent, decisive, empathic, accountable, confident, optimistic, honest, focused and inspirational and up-to-date youth as a leader.
Engr. Talabi Olalekan Oladunjoye writes from Lagos