The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) during the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi has urged Nigeria to aggressively invest in agriculture.
Obi made this call about Nigeria investing more in agriculture on Thursday morning in a post on his official X account after attending an event in the United Kingdom (UK).
“Yesterday (Wednesday), at the invitation of The Liverpool Commonwealth Association, I had the honour of serving as the guest speaker at Liverpool John Moores University where I spoke on the topic: “Harnessing the Commonwealth Advantage for Trade and Investment”,” Obi said.
“For us in Nigeria whose trade contributions to the Commonwealth and indeed the world have remained dismally low due to the lack of productivity plaguing the nation, this is a wake-up call.
“We must clothe our nation in the garment of productivity and set the wheels of production in motion.
“By aggressively investing in agriculture, supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises through favourable fiscal and monetary policies as well as ensuring strict adherence to the rule of law which will attract and retain both foreign and local investors, we can shift Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to a production-led one and take our rightful place as a significant contributor to the Commonwealth’s economic power.”
He said with a population of over 2.5 billion which is about a third of the world’s population, with over 60% of its population under the age of 30, a GDP of over $13 trillion, expected to grow to $20 trillion by 2030, the Commonwealth presents great opportunities for growth and development amongst member nations if properly harnessed.
Obi stated that the focus must, therefore, remain on leveraging these immense resources, especially the youthful energy and innovation for the collective advancement, sustainable development and economic prosperity of member states and their citizens.
The former governor of Anambra State said as a member of the Commonwealth, Nigeria is uniquely positioned to promote inclusive growth, foster innovation, and champion sustainable development.
He stated that by lowering barriers to trade, encouraging investment and deepening cooperation, Nigeria can transform its economy, ensuring that the prosperity of one nation lifts many others.
Attendance included Mr. Mark Blundell, Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside and representative of King Charles in Liverpool, Richard Kemp as well as the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Tim Nicholl.
Others are the Vice-Pro Chancellor of LJMU Business School, Garth Dallas, Chair of the Liverpool Commonwealth Association, Cllr Vanessa Boateng JP, General Secretary of the Liverpool Commonwealth Association among others.
