Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi says the nation has learnt some valuable lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
He stated this in a virtual keynote address at this year’s The Platform, a public-policy forum organised by Pastor Poju Oyemade’s The Covenant Nation.
Fayemi noted that “Nigeria must emerge from this crisis with a plan to create jobs, reduce poverty and put food on the table of our citizens. We must attract investment required to bridge the infrastructure deficit, and prioritise the provision of critical investment in education, healthcare, security and other social protection needs. Agriculture, the mainstay of our national and many subnational economies, has never been more important, especially as we seek to reduce hunger.
“COVID-19 has shown the importance of food security, and our ability to call on the nation’s food reserve at this time only validates the Federal Government’s decision to prioritise food production. By focusing on job creation and poverty reduction, we will reduce the lack of opportunity, which remains a big incentive for crime. However, for those who still insist on criminality, we must be ready to tackle them with well-trained, equipped and appropriately remunerated security agencies,” Fayemi said.
Other prominent participants at the 2020 edition of the programme are Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the Governors of Lagos, Nassarawa, Kaduna, Edo and Delta as well as the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu.
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