Nigeria’s economic policy focuses on ordinary citizens: president

LAGOS, (Xinhua) -- The focus of Nigeria’s economic policy was to elevate the ordinary man through empowerment and poverty alleviation, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday.

He said this on Tuesday in Ibadan at the University of Ibadan’s 67^th Foundation Day and Award of Doctorate (PhD) degrees.

Buhari said the nation needed creativity and thinking to forestall the imminent collapse of her economy.

“In Nigeria,

we are confronted with the GDP growth. This time calls for uncommon creativity and thinking on how to forestall the imminent collapse of our economy,” he added.

“We need to think of how to unravel the morbid ideology of terrorists. How to turn around our economy into that which the people desired,” he said.

“We need to think of how poverty could be reduced and the unemployed in the country empowered,” the Nigerian leader told his audience.

He said in spite of the fall in the price of oil, the nation still had the hope of a greater future.

Buhari called on Nigerians to embrace discipline, faithfulness, honesty and strong commitment to the nation’s development for the realization of that hope.

The president also stressed the need for attitudinal change in the country, saying that it was a major factor hindering the country’s growth and development.

He said the country was full of talents, creative minds and great leaders but that its shortcoming could be attributed to the character of some Nigerians.

Buhari promised that his administration would be more committed to the rule of law, public-private sector development and rapid infrastructure development.

He added that the government was determined to develop agriculture and agro-allied industries, and support creative youths.