Former Vice Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Professor Wale Are Olaitan, yesterday highlighted some key challenges militating against the progress of the country, while at the same time proffering solutions out of the present nation’s economic situation.
Olaitan, a Professor of Political Science, hinted that the country also lacked development conundrum given its low production, in view of its Gross Domestic Product, population
and the reality of its inability to provide basic necessities for many of its citizens.
He stated this while delivering the maiden convocation lecture of HallMark University, Ijebu-Itele, Ogun State titled “Imagining a New Template of Development for Nigeria”, on Wednesday.
The lecturer who is the Chairman, Editorial Board, Tribune Newspapers, equally submitted that the inadequate production and capacity justified the rating of
Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world.
He therefore charged the graduates of the institution to come up with great ideas and insights that would bring the country out of the economic quagmire.
“We know that human existence in the world has to be organised around production for it to be worthwhile and meaningful given that the only way to overcome problems and provide for and satisfy needs is through production.
“A country or society that is not able to organize production well would be characterized with and be bedeviled by unsolved problems and unmet needs for its people even as it would not be valued or respected by other countries and societies.
“The crisis of poverty bedevilling Nigeria that we have remarked – the reality that the country is not producing enough to satisfy the needs of its citizens which results in its having so many ‘have nots’ or those in poverty and unable to satisfy basic human and existential needs.
“The (flourishing) poverty in Nigeria has to do with persisting inadequate production with its total production in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) barely surpassing the level of South Africa with only a quarter of its own population.
“Production is not a result of chance, but strives in and through a deliberate environment created and sustained for it by the right leadership.
“The conducive environment for meaningful production to give development, apart from incorporating fair distribution of proceeds and guaranteed respect for the freedom of the people to assure a sustainable good standard of living, has to be predicated more on structures and institutions of intangible wealth such as rule of law, devotion to education, and the preeminence of values.”
He insisted that the country needs visionary leaders in the likes of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and General Yakubu Gowon, who contributed their quota to the development of the country, for it to come out of its current situation.
The Don added, “Let us let the youth know that the country is relying on them and waiting on them to take on the mantle of leadership like Awolowo did in 1951 and Mohammed did in 1975 to provide the way to the transformation direly needed and required, through the right dreams and vision and imagination, to making Nigeria take its rightful place in the comity of nations as a country of more than 200 million capable human beings, ready to follow the emergent visionary leader to the promised future.”
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Segun Odunola, in his remarks said the graduands have all it takes to change the nation’s narratives by being determined and focused in building the nation.
