Unemployment will consume Nigeria – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has assured Nigerians that all will soon be well.

Speaking with newsmen on Saturday after a lecture organised by the Youth Fellowship of the Owu Baptist Church, Totoro in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to mark the nation’s 56th Independence Day anniversary, Obasanjo asked God to bless the souls of those who lost their lives while fighting to keep the nation as one.

In his lecture titled, ‘Nigeria: Development for Nigerians by Nigerians,’ the former president stated that though the country was not where it ought to be after 56 years of independence, he was optimistic it would surmount its challenges.

He said, “Our development is impaired; it is not what it ought to be, but we must get it right.”

According to Obasanjo, in order to move the country forward, “we must all accept responsibility; we must stop passing the buck.”

He noted that the development of the country must be by Nigerians, foreign investors and all friends of Nigeria.

According to Obasanjo, the areas of priority for development include peace, security, education, food and nutrition, water and sanitation, shelter and transportation.

The ex-president said, “Unemployment is a major problem in the country today and if we don’t take care, it will consume all of us. In fact, the rising unemployment is a time bomb.”

Obasanjo noted that the high rate of unemployment was responsible for youth restiveness in the country, warning that the situation should be approriately tackled.

The ex-president had called for the urgent reform of the business operations model of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

Obasanjo said the urgent reform was needed to lift the economy out of recession and create wealth for Nigerians.

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