Policy Briefs
Ezekwesili says Nigeria’s $55bn GDP symbol of failure; Obaze underlines the need for national debate
Some eminent Nigerians continue to weigh in on critical issues facing the nation. Policy experts and stakeholders who gathered at the third Policy Monitoring Dialogue Forum of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy, and Development (SCDDD) in Abuja, dissected such challenged and made various economic, monetary, governance and restructuring recommendations.
Founder and chairman of SCDDD, and convener of the policy dialogue, Professor Ibrahim Gambari in his opening remarks, called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to expand the scope of the ongoing consultation on restructuring with all segments of the country.
Some speakers underlined the imperative of open dialogue and need to include youth in the process. Selonnes Consult MD/CEO, Mr Oseloka Obaze said the policy dialogue was propitious. “As Nigerians can we talk and remain united or we can dissemble and allow our nation to disintegrate.”
Former Minister of Education and Solid Minerals, Dr Oby Ezekwesili in her intervention, opined that the $530 billion recorded in Nigeria’s rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while positive, reflected a failed economy. Ezekwesili said the number, which was amassed for decades of economic activities, is only one-third of Nigeria economic capacity, and blamed the country’s leadership for failure to exploit the country’s full economic potentials.
