Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said, yesterday, that the Federal and state governments had agreed on the Sovereign Wealth Fund’s launch, stating that disagreement had been put behind them.
She said: “The young people must have better future. Prosperity and jobs will depend on education and we must give the children the opportunity to get qualitative education.
L-R Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi Rivers state Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi Rivers State First Lady,Rt Hon Gordon Brown Former British Prime Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Nigerian finance Minister and Mr Atedo Peterside Chairman Stanbic IBTC Bank during the Rivers State Investors Forum yesterday at the Rivers state Government House Port Harcourt.
“There are more children not going to school in Nigeria than in any part of the world and this must be urgently addressed. Prosperity and growth depend on infrastructure, education, agriculture and others.”
She spoke at the maiden Rivers State Investors’ Forum tagged: Change that Works, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
At the event, immediate past British Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown, described the inability of about eight million Nigerian children to go to school, due to poverty, as the highest population of non-school-going children in the world.
He also said Nigeria’s growth and prosperity depended on her ability to develop infrastructural facilities such as power/electricity, road/transport, education and agriculture.
He said: “Nigeria needs to diversify its economy. There is huge prospect in Nigeria if emphasis was placed on manufacturing just as agriculture must also be taken seriously.”
He stressed that it was either lack of attention by various governments or infrastructural failure that led to failure to cater for the children.
Brown was of the view that Nigeria would be one of the greatest economies of the world in the next 30 to 40 years.
He said: “Nigeria’s vision 20:20-20 is a good idea. The country has the resources and people to have greater success in future. Nigeria could be a country that everybody can be proud of.
“For the world economy to move forward, there must be cooperation. We are at the turning point in world economy which will no longer be dominated by Europe and America.
“Nigeria has a bigger role to play, especially with oil and gas.”
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