Adapt local solutions to national challenges, Buhari charges leaders at NES25

By Lawrence Olaoye

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged leaders in the country to adapt local solutions to all challenges facing the country.
In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President gave this charge while declaring open the 25th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES25) in Abuja.
Buhari also pledged that his administration will continue to collaborate with the private sector in designing and implementing developmental projects that will keep Nigeria on track for sustained, inclusive and prosperity driven growth.
In his speech at the opening of the 2-day Summit, the President said the successful conclusion of 2019 general elections and the resort by aggrieved candidates to seek redress in the courts rather than the street was proof that Nigeria‘s ‘‘democracy is maturing.’’
‘‘I am informed that this year’s Summit has identified key job-creating sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, creative industry and extractive industry as focus sectors.
‘‘I am also told that your deliberations will focus on unlocking capital through our financial services sector to actualize the opportunities in these sectors.
‘‘In your deliberations, I would request that your proposals are productive, inventive and innovative keeping in mind that Nigeria’s unique challenges can only be solved by made in Nigeria solutions,’’ he said.
Recounting the 2019 general elections, the President said Nigeria has shown the world that it is capable of electing leaders in a peaceful and orderly manner.
‘‘The elections have come and gone. Our country, once again, has shown the world that we can choose our leaders in a peaceful and orderly manner.
‘‘Apart from a few pockets of unrest, majority of voters exercised their civic rights without hindrance.
‘‘Furthermore, we also saw an increase in the number of aggrieved candidates, and supporters, who took their concerns and grievances to the courts as opposed to the streets. This is how it should be.
‘‘Ladies and Gentlemen, what this clearly shows is that our democracy is maturing,’’ he said.
Reflecting on the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, the President noted that his administration’s economic policies in the last four years focused on the need to uplift the poor and the disadvantaged and encourage inclusivity.
‘‘During the elections, almost all candidates proposed their vision for the economy and for the country”.