President Bola Tinubu stated that Nigeria’s inability to fully realize its potential as the giant of the African continent was down to several years of leadership failure.
Tinubu, who expressed the regrets on Wednesday when he received a delegation from the United States Congress led by Senator Cory Booker at the State House in Abuja, vowed to change the state of affairs.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President also said his administration is committed to deepening democracy by ensuring adherence to the rule of law and expediting the sustainable provision of good governance, justice, and fairness to all Nigerian citizens.
He, however, said that while democracy must be defended, it must translate into tangibles of quality healthcare, good education, food security, shelter, and overall economic prosperity for the people of Nigeria.
Tinubu assured the Congressmen that Nigeria is a necessary partner for the sustenance of democracy in Africa and beyond, noting that as the continent’s biggest economy and largest democracy, Nigeria is well-positioned to set the best continental example by delivering good governance to its people.
“Nigeria, as the giant of Africa, had suffered leadership elephantiasis years back. I am determined to change that. Adhering to the principles of democracy and the rule of law is very important to us. I wonder how democracy will survive if we do not fight for it. I fought for this democracy. I risked my life for it. Military truncation of democracy is unacceptable. The power of our citizens is and must remain supreme,” the President said.
Emphasising the need for the United States to evolve a more prudent and pragmatic partnership with Africa, the Nigerian leader told the U.S. Congressional delegation that the United States should consider upscaling critical development programmes to strengthen ties with the continent.
“It is important for our partners to help strengthen democracy in Africa. Our developmental programmes need serious capital. We are not asking for freebies. All we are asking for is understanding. After the Second World War, Europe was impacted. America developed and executed the Marshall Plan to pull them back up. Today, Europe is standing firm and tall as a result. What about a Marshall plan for Africa?
“How can we be categorized and thrown into IMF’s basket of trickle-down slices? We are blessed in Africa, but these are the same resources causing conflicts because of exploitation and a lack of alignment. The presence of the resources does not reflect in the living conditions of the people. We must not use yesterday’s methods to address today’s challenges. Nobody wants to risk their life to run away from Africa.
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“America needs to look at the situation in Africa critically. What is happening in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger emanates from a helpless feeling people have that they are not being helped economically. They find that their former colonial masters are not letting go and are still seeking to exploit them. We have mineral resources.
“What technology can you bring to help turn that into economic prosperity? Can you put de-risking finance in place to incentivize John Deere to assist us in massively mechanizing our food production processes? There is so much we can do in the advancement of education. See Africa as a necessary partner for the sustenance of democracy.
“We are capable and willing to lift our own people out of poverty,” President Tinubu affirmed.
Senator Cory Booker described Tinubu as a visionary leader who took tough but necessary decisions for the good of Nigerians.
