The Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Professor Yakubu Ochefu has submitted that Nigeria’s economy can develop fast only if the elite in the country are in consensus and are unanimous about the fundamentals of the economy, including the norms of the social system.
Professor Ochefu made it clear that the current state of the economy need to follow the universal phenomenon which most developed social formations have in common.
He spoke as a panelist at the 7th annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), in Abuja, during the week.
The Prof stressed the need to address the issue of elite consensus if the country must talk about economic growth and sustainable development.
According to Professor Ochefu, the character and lifestyle of the elites play significant role in shaping the country’s development trajectory.
The panelist further advised the government to improve it investment in education noting that Nigeria is currently doing 9% in terms of space for higher education as “over 200 Universities we have are not enough to cater for large number of Nigerians seeking tertiary education.”
He decried a situation where those in position of leadership amass wealth more than they need to the detriment of the economy and the Nigerian people.
Other panelist include Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, with the keynote address on ‘Nigeria: Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability’ delivered by Professor Uche Uwaleke, a professor of capital market and the Special Adviser to the Senate Committee Chairman on Capital Market.
The president of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, had stressed the importance of security for investment to flourish, even as she underscored the purposeof the conference theme.
“There is a new administration in town, so there is need to assist them with professional information to build sound roadmap.”
Maureen Chigbo, who is the publisher of RealNews online, said the Guild is made up of mediapreneurs who are seasoned journalists.
According to the GOCOP President, the body has created mechanisms to control and discipline any erring members to ensure credibility in online journalism.
The 2023 conference was chaired by the chief executive officer and Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, whereas the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris led the Federal Government delegation to the annual conference.
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