Amb. William Awinador-Kanyirige, Ghana High Commissioner, to Nigeria has advised Nigerians not to see the economic recession as only a challenge, but also an opportunity and window to maximise the country’s potentials.
The envoy gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja at the 2016 Annual Lecture/Gold Annual Award organised by Centre for Democratic Governance in Africa (CDGA).
The theme of the lecture is, “Global recession as it affects good governance: Need for proactive Action –Nigeria as a case study.’’
Awinador-Kanyirige said that many countries, including United States of America, had gone through recession and were able to turn it to opportunities.
He said that Nigerians should not look at the recession from a negative angle but from a positive angle, with a view of moving forward.
He said: “If you look at the larger aspirations of the Nigerian people and the larger strategy of Nigerian government today, you will see that recession is a window of opportunity.
“It is also to prepare Nigeria realise its full potential.
“This a very blessed country within a blessed continent. We have taken things so much for granted over the past decades.
“A lot of things which happened in the last couple of years are pointing to a new beginning and what we are calling recession today is also part of it.
“I don’t see recession as a major setback, but as part of the re-awakening call that there is a huge opportunity here to re-organise and diversify.’’
The envoy expressed hope that the recession would bring out the full energy of the Nigerian people especially the youths and move the nation forward.
“If this is done, the sky will not be the limit but also just a beginning,’’ he said.
He stressed the need for Nigerians to have a change of mindset and start looking for means of improving the country’s democracy and good governance.
The High Commissioner identified some of the ways forward for the country to include regaining the lost value system and improvement on its peer review mechanisms.
The other way he added, was to develop nation’s infrastructure for peace.
Awinador-Kanyirige also advised Nigerians to address the country’s high party funding system and ensure domestication of regional and international treaties the country had accented to.
The Director-General of CDGA, Dr Dafe Akpocha, said the conference was organised to brainstorm on how to address the recession in Nigeria.
He expressed optimism that if implemented, the recommendations of the annual lecture would help to address some of the major economic problems confronting the country. (NAN)