►Some Nigerians have urged the Federal Government to present an achievable investment template in Nigeria to U.S President, Barack Obama, at the ongoing U.S-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington DC.
►Obama is playing host to African leaders, including President Goodluck Jonathan, as part of effort of U.S Government to chart new prospects for the development of the continent.
►Obama is playing host to African leaders, including President Goodluck Jonathan, as part of effort of U.S Government to chart new prospects for the development of the continent.
The people said in Abuja on Tuesday that Obama had, by convening the summit, demonstrated rare disposition to genuinely assist Nigeria, and urged Jonathan to fully harness the opportunity.
“The Federal Government must take advantage of the development and engage the Obama administration in the best way to attract investments to the country,” Dr Chubike Okoronkwo, Chief Executive Officer of Talanza Nig. Ltd, said.
Describing the summit as “life line for Africa’s economies”, Okoronkwo said, “Nigeria being the largest economy in the continent, must articulate its position properly in order to maximise fallout of the meeting.
“Jonathan already knows that the articulation of the country’s informal sector, application of the right technology and security are some drawbacks that America could assist Nigeria to solve.
“The diversification of the country’s economy from just relying on oil is key to the industrialisation of our country and the U.S may want to genuinely assist us in developing our agriculture,’’ he said.
An entrepreneur, Mrs Clara Adesina, said that the country should not ask for “handouts” from the U.S, insisting that the Federal Government should rather “understudy the laws and policies guiding the U.S economic environment.
“The U.S cannot and would not just deliver a special device to the African countries represented at that meeting; the countries, including Nigeria, must begin to do things rightly.
“Only that way would America be encouraged to relax some of its stiff economic policies to favour the continent.
“How best have we used the opportunity provided by African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA)? We must first of all shun corruption before good things would begin to work well for us,” she said. (NAN)
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