Ife Ogunfunwa
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Federal Government to ensure that the results of its development initiatives are felt by Nigerians.
Obasanjo, who was one of the keynote speakers at the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Forum, which held on Saturday in Lagos, commended the government for its programmes aimed at creating jobs and diversifying the economy.
Also addressing Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Deputy Governor, Ebonyi State, Kelechi Igwe, at the event, the ex-president said there was the need to support entrepreneurs in their states to develop products that would be fit for export.
Obasanjo said, “What you say you are doing is commendable, please let us see the results. We have to ensure that doing business in Nigeria is easy. We have to make them (investors) come to Nigeria. We need to be able to register a company at a one-stop shop.”
Earlier, the Minister for Information and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, stated that the government was moving the economy from being a mono-product economy to investing in agriculture, mining and solid minerals sectors, among others.
Also addressing the 1, 000 entrepreneurs of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the Group Managing Director, Rose of Sharon Group, Folorunso Alakija, advised them to pursue their businesses with passion, adding that they should be ready to take risks.
She said, “The hallmark of any entrepreneur is the ability to take risks. You need to fight yourself, friends, competition and government in order to succeed.”
– Punch
