Posted on: 10:18 Fri, 15 Jan 2016



Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Thursday
said Nigeria’s size, coupled with her
sheer economic power propelled by a
large population, makes the
proposition of one Nigeria attractive.

“Whoever it is that wants to go his own
way will find that our size is why we
are an attractive proposition”, the Vice
President said at the 13th annual Daily
Trust Dialogue in Abuja titled “50 Years
After 1966: Is Nigeria Rising?”

Osinbajo, a Professor of Law and
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, noted
that the country’s size is not just
formidable in the African continent,
but also globally.

“Our country has the potential not just
to be the giant of Africa, but a major
economic giant in the world”, he said,
adding that it is that giant of a nation
that the Nigerian elites have a duty to
deliver.

According to the vice president, the
size of Lagos State alone is larger in
terms of economy than several African
countries, stressing that Nigeria is
better off staying together
and maintaining its unity.

Addressing the question proposed in
the title of the Dialogue, Prof. Osinbajo
said “there is no question at all, our
country is rising despite all challenges”.

He noted however that “in the history
of nations everywhere there is the
question of elite consensus”.

While agreeing that the elite must join
hands for a group or nation to be built,
he opined that the task must not be left
to the political class alone as it also
involves religious, professional and
traditional elites as well.

It is such a seeming lack of consensus
among these groups Osinbajo noted,
has made it look like “despite all we
have done, it does appear that we are
moving in circles”.

Said he: “nation-building is based on
elite consensus. There may be
divergent views but unless we agree as
to how to govern this space, we could
be going round and round in circles”.

Speaking further, Vice President
Osinbajo observed that a country may
have good policies but the important
thing is the capacity to implement
those policies, adding that there is the
need for instance, to have a legal
system where equity and justice is
dispensed within a reasonable
timeframe and a system where no one
is above the law.

Other speakers at the Dialogue were
former Chief of Defense Staff, General
Martin Agwai (retd); the Nigerian
Representative of the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation Dr. Mairo
Mandara and former CBN Governor,
Prof. Charles Soludo.

The Dialogue was moderated by one
time Head of the Federal Civil Service,
Alhaji Adamu Fika, and hosted by
executives of Daily Trust Newspapers.