How Nigeria can mitigate impact of COVID-19 on economy, by NEPAD boss

The National Coordinator, African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development/ African Peer Review mechanism (AUDA-NEPAD/APRM) Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu has suggested ways the country could mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy.

Princess Akobundu said strategic partnership with the private sector, with focus on grassroots challenges could provide a lasting solutions to COVID-19 and other national challenges.

“If agricultural sector receives more partnership support in production, processing and packaging of farm outputs, larger ratio of unemployed population can be gainfully engaged while agricultural wastages can become income,” she was quoted as saying, in a statement by her spokesman, Abolade Ogundimu.

She spoke while featuring on a virtual conference with the theme: “Leveraging COVID-19 disruptions for economic growth in Africa,” organised by Pristine Ecologistics Cloud-based conferencing platform.

Princess Akobundu said despite current lockdown and other restrictions, the challenge of how to overcome the pandemic and cushion its effect should not be lost on the nation.

According to her, there is need for bottom-top approach in strategic partnership, focusing on grassroots challenges to get lasting solutions to COVID-19 and other national challenges.

“Self-sufficiency in food production is a success for a nation of over 200 million population, but the nation cannot afford to rest on its oars,” she said.

Princess Akobundu added that adequate partnership in primary health sub-sector would not only lead to standard healthcare system, it would also help to upgrade indigenous therapy.

She recommended a deliberate adoption of the public-private partnership (PPP) in areas of skills acquisition programmes and education.

“Creation of more technology hubs with basic amenities can also be another means of channelling our youths’ energies towards National development which leads to global prominence,,” she said.

Princess Akobundu said, given the abundance of resources, Nigeria should not be affected by the recent prediction of World Bank, to the effect that Africa would experience between -2.5% to -5.1% recession at the end of COVID-19 pandemic.

She commiserated with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council over the death of Presdient’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, to the President, describing him as a leader par excellence.

The conference also featured Ambassador Jerome Ringo, Goodwill Ambassador, Pan- African Parliament and founder, Zoetic Energy from the United States.

The event moderator, Dr Paul Abolo, on behalf of the organisers, praised the speakers for doing justice to the topic by proffering insightful ideas on how the continent could navigate economic threats of COVID-19 pandemic.

Comments

‘Lockdown affecting Ramadan sales’

Some food vendors in Lagos metropolis yesterday lamented the shortfalls in their sales during the Ramadan. According to them, many people who patronised the food vendors did not show up to buy food for Iftar (breaking of fast) and Sahur (early hour meal). The Nation also observed that not many food sellers engage in the brisk business this year. Usually, between 3am and 6:30am, the streets of Lagos are busy with food vendors preparing dishes. Many men who don’t have wives at home patronise the food vendors. The food vendors are also the toast of some couples, who find it difficult to wake up in the early hours to cook. Mrs Folasade Ayoola, who sells food on Lagos Island, said she had been incurring debts due to wastage of the meals. “We bought foodstuff and pepper at a higher price in the market, hoping to make good sales from those who are fasting, but the reverse is the case. People are not forthcoming like the previous Ramadan,” she said. According to her, some of t...

COVID-19: Buhari has no direction, protect yourselves – PDP cautious Nigerians

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged Nigerians to ensure personal safety. It claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari has ran out of ideas regarding COVID-19. PDP said as the lockdown is relaxed, Nigerians should protect themselves because Buhari and his government have no plans to rescue them from the jaws of COVID-19. A statement by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said Buhari had failed to find direction in the fight against the spread of the virus. PDP charged Nigerians not to “resign to fate and jeopardize their lives following President Buhari’s failure to find direction in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in our country despite the huge resources at his disposal.” The opposition party also described the Presidential Task Foce on COVID-19 as incompetent. PDP said Buhari Presidency and its “incompetent Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 had compounded the situation by crippling the economy after which they are now leaving Ni...

All Aboard..! Steering Nigeria’s COVID-19 Action Train

The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Nigeria on the 27th of February 2020. Just a little over two months ago and, yet, it feels like a lifetime has elapsed. The world we lived in then, is so much different from the one we are about to be released into, as the lockdown restrictions are lifted. When the lockdown was announced by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 27th of March, there were 65 confirmed cases in the country and the President’s Chief of Staff had just tested positive for the virus. Today, we have confirmed over 2000 cases, and many of our beloved fellow citizens (more than 50) are no longer with us, having fallen in the wake of this novel coronavirus. May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and to those of us who remain on the journey of life, may God grant wisdom. We need it, desperately, at this time to navigate the complexities ahead. The month we spent sheltering in place was, without question, challenging; but in our isolation there was an odd sort of t...

Westernars

Search This Blog