Obasanjo thumbs up plan to boost businesses and lift 5m Nigerians out of poverty by 2050
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed support for the plan by Business Network International (BNI) to support 25,000 local businesses yearly to facilitate human capital development in Nigeria.
Obasanjo enthused the plan by BNI to also empower one million families through growth in employment and value creation, and to contribute N650 billion yearly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will help lift at least five million Nigerians out of poverty by 2050.
He bared his mind in a keynote presentation titled: “Importance of Network in Life and Business” at the launch of the Gateway Chapter of BNI in Abeokuta.
A statement issued by his Media Assistant Kehinde Akinyemi quoted him as commending BNI for coming up with its plans for the socioeconomic development of Nigeria.
“I like the goals that you have set for yourself in BNI in Nigeria, to support 25,000 businesses, to support one million families and if you take an average of one family being five; father, mother and three children, we are talking of five million people,” the statement said.
“Well, you may say, give million out of 230 million people, so how much is that? But it means a lot. In a situation where over 100 million of us are in abject poverty, if five million can be raised out of poverty, it means we are doing a lot.”
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Turning population from liability to asset
With more than 100 million citizens living in abject poverty, “only investment in human development and education will turn Nigeria’s population from liability to asset,” Obasanjo stressed, according to reporting by Vanguard.
“We lay emphasis on our natural resources and when we talk of our natural resources, we are talking of mine, oil and gas, gold, whatever we can find in the bush or under the ground. But for me, our most important natural resource is human beings.
“By the year 2050, we will be the third largest country in the world with a population of well over 450 million. Only China and India will be larger than us in population. That can be an asset and it can be a liability.”
BNI Gateway chapter President Ronke Daniel disclosed the organisation has been supporting business owners in more than 70 countries to grow.
The objective of BNI is to grow businesses and empower operators of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs) to reach their maximum potentials, she explained, and “with needed support our goal to record 25,000 business support annually will be achieved.”
Daniel advised SMSEs to cooperate and tap from the opportunities in networking nationally and internationally to make their businesses grow and improve Nigeria’s economy.
The BNI template will be available for use by members as part of the growth strategy, she added.
BNI Regional Director Adebola Olubanjo reiterated the Nigerian economy will grow faster “if we can come together to network our businesses. The target was to have a world chapter of BNI in Nigeria.
“With harmony, trusted, seasoned businessmen/women and professionals, the situation in the country can be better.”
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