Minister urges youths to promote positive image of Nigeria

By Anita Uzoagba/Michael Ajayi

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerian youths to promote the country’s positive image with their conduct and narratives, to influence global opportunities.

Idris made the call at The New Nigerian Festival, a two-day event focused on ideas, innovation and enterprise, with the theme “Great Ideas, Bold Execution” on Tuesday in Abuja.

Represented by the Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, Mr Jibrin Ndace, the minister commended Nigeria’s young population for demonstrating significant potential in technology, the creative economy, digital services and manufacturing.

He, therefore, urged them to promote these feats in conduct and narratives to influence the nation’s economic opportunities globally.

The minister assured that the government was working to create an enabling environment where such talents could translate into businesses, jobs and other economic opportunities.

He said the Federal Government’s recent initiative “Hire from Nigeria” launched in August, was designed to connect Nigerian professionals, skilled workers, digital experts and creatives with international employment and markets.

According to him, the initiative will enable Nigerians to participate in the global economy while contributing to the country’s development.

The minister said every Nigerian had a role to play in building the country’s image, adding that the responsibility was not limited to the government.

He said Nigeria had no shortage of talent or good ideas, but needed to tell the stories of successful businesses and innovations accurately to the international community.

In her welcome address, Ms Victoria Aigbedion, Deputy Director, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), said agriculture, technology and energy were key sectors capable of driving Nigeria’s ambition of a $1 trillion economy.

She also listed manufacturing, mining, infrastructure and the creative economy as other key sectors for the drive.

“Nigeria stands at a defining moment in its economic journey.

“With a population of over 237 million people and a gross domestic product of approximately $377 billion, our country holds the market size, talent and resources needed to build the trillion-dollar economy,” she said.

Aigbedion identified infrastructure and the creative economy as important areas for investment, saying improved roads, railways, ports, housing and logistics would reduce the cost of doing business.

She said Nigeria’s creative industries, including Nollywood, Afrobeats, fashion and digital content, continued to demonstrate the country’s potential in the global market.

The NIPC deputy director said achieving the $1 trillion economy would not happen overnight or through government efforts alone.

“It will require collaboration between the private sector and the government. It will also require sustained economic growth,” she said.

Aigbedion said Nigeria’s current economic growth rate was around 4.43 per cent, while the International Monetary Fund had projected a growth rate of 4.1 per cent.

She stressed that achieving the $1 trillion target by 2030 would require significantly faster economic expansion and coordinated efforts across sectors.

She, therefore, urged stakeholders to work together to unlock Nigeria’s investment potential and drive sustainable economic growth.

In his keynote speech, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Bashir Adeniyi, said Nigeria does not lack ideas but needs stronger execution to achieve the target of a 1 trillion-dollar economy.

According to him, the gap between ideas and their implementation remains one of the country’s major development challenges.

“The gap is not an idea deficit, it is an execution deficit,” he said.

The Customs boss said the NCS had, over the past three years, introduced reforms aimed at improving trade facilitation and contributing to the realisation of the country’s economic ambitions.

He stressed the importance of making reforms sustainable through legislation and institutional processes rather than depending on individuals.

“Any reform that lives in the personality dies with the posting,” he said.

Adeniyi said achieving a 1 trillion-dollar economy would require collaboration among government agencies, businesses, investors and other stakeholders because no single institution controlled all aspects of the economy.

“Execution is a coalition, it is not a command,” he said.

He urged young Nigerians to complete projects and initiatives capable of transforming the country, saying the difference between a good idea and a changed country was the ability to execute.

Dr Obaro Osah, Divisional Head, Business Development and Partnerships, Bank of Industry (BOI), said the bank, as a development finance institution, is providing financing on terms designed to support businesses and promote economic development rather than operate like a conventional commercial bank.

According to him, the bank’s 2025–2027 strategy focuses on six high-impact thematic areas considered critical to accelerating economic growth.

He said Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises remained at the centre of the strategy, particularly businesses involved in value addition, including agricultural and solid-mineral processing.

He added that BOI was working with institutions and funding partners to develop financing products specifically designed to support young people.

For his part, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, said government, as the country’s biggest spender, could use public procurement to stimulate local industries, create jobs and build business capacity.

“Procurement is an instrument to drive industrial policy. Every naira spent by government must create demand,” he said.

He said the proposed approach would ensure that women-owned businesses, youths, persons with disabilities and local contractors benefited from large government projects.

Adedokun urged entrepreneurs to move beyond ideas and develop tested, sustainable solutions that could meet government and private-sector needs.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the partners for the event included the Nigeria Revenue Service, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, BOI, among others.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Magdalene Ukuedojor