Today, our country has the fastest growing economy in Africa — Buhari

President  Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said his government cannot afford to fail the huge expectations of Nigerians, who expect it to lead the country to greater heights.

In a keynote address at the public presentation of a book, ‘Nigerian Century’ written by Dare Babarinsa at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, President Buhari said with the proper harnessing of abundant human and natural resources in the country, it would attain its greatness.

The President, who was represented by former governor of Ekiti State and deputy chairman of  All Progressives Congress in the South, Segun Oni, noted that only a Nigeria could have given meaning to the indomitable spirit, boundless energy, collective creativity, cultural diversity and unique sense of enterprise of Nigerians.

He said: “Yes, our land is blessed by providence with riches in oil and gas, iron ore, gold, limestone and almost all the minerals of this earth. “Our soil can grow almost any crop and our vegetation supports animal life as varied as creation can manifest. Our rivers and coast lines are rich with fishes and various kinds of life.

Yet, despite these bounties from nature, I have no doubt that the greatest blessings of Nigeria are the people of Nigeria, the wonderful people that give expression to the grandeur and majesty of our beloved country.” President Buhari recalled that though Nigeria was born in adversity, nurtured to adolescence in the turbulence of the colonial period and its majesty was forged in the furnace of hard experience of the post-colonial era, the country had been able to overcome its challenges to emerge as the biggest economy in Africa.

He said:  “Today, our country has the fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest in the world. Our dominance is not so much because of our wealth, but because of the tremendous energy and resourcefulness of our people. “How many countries of the world can parade the likes of Professor Wole Soyinka, Jay Jay Okocha, King Sunny Ade and Alhaji Aliko Dangote literally under the same roof?”  

-Vanguard