Turnaround expert and technocrat, Dr Dakuku Peterside, says for Nigeria to remain Africa’s leader and influence future engagements, the country must urgently address the stumbling blocks that have held the nation down.
Dr Peterside, who spoke on the topic: The Future Of Africa And Nigeria’s Leadership Role during Africa Day Celebration organized by the Centre for Pan-African and Peace Studies (CePAPS) of the African university of Science and Technology (ASUT) Abuja, listed such impediments to include rentier economy, corruption, political instability, security concerns, infrastructure deficits, wobbly internal democracy, religious and ethnic schisms, and social inequality.
According to him, these challenges can impact the effective utilization of Nigeria’s power and influence, and addressing them are essential for the country to maximize its potential.
He, however, regretted that with several faltering steps, leadership ineptitude, internal security issues, among others, and lack of focus in the global world, Nigeria started losing its continental leadership, while quipping “it is not debatable whether Nigeria has been relegated to the background of international affairs in Africa and beyond.”
The immediate past former DG of NIMASA recommended that “we must be clear about who our competitors are in the continent and work hard to match their comparative advantages; we must harness our strategic location and geography to our advantage. We must use the Gulf of Guinea as a continental channel for the movement of vessels, goods, and people. Our strategic position should give us a leading role in AfCTA as an economic block.”
Another guest speaker, Arc Nmadili Okwumabua of CPDI Africa, spoke on “Afrocentric Architecture Defined, Developing New Landscapes For Nigeria Today, Tomorrow and Beyond.“
Participants were from all over Africa.
