Nigeria @ 60: Group wants hope kept alive
With a view to alleviating citizens’ suffering and addressing social economic challenges in the post pandemic era, the Young Catholic Workers (YCW) has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful for a better nation.
They made the call during a virtual conference with theme, ‘A National Dialogue on Youth & Workers Development and the Actualization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) NO. 8 for Sustainable Development in Nigeria Post Pandemic’ on 3rd of October, 2020.
The conference started withh a brief reminder on the presidential speech on October 1st, 2020 with participants drawn from within and outside Nigeria.
In his Keynote address, The Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, Who was represented by the Chancellor of the Archdiocesan, Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Anthony Obanla said that there is need to understand the country and have hope that it is going to be better.
He also challenged young people to take their place in leadership.
During the first session, on “Covid-19 Pandemic and it’s Effect on Nigerian Youths and Young Workers”, Barr. Odibei Cassius Gloria expresses hopes that the youth will make things happen if they come out to participate in governance.
“The Pandemic so affected us because Nigeria so depend on China for her market. It was also because the pandemic affected oil price in the global market that is why we are all struggling now”, she stated.
Bar. Gloria also noted that since the budget was built on the estimated price of oil, a crash will definitely affect all things. As a result many young people lost their jobs and so have their salary slashed and yet have many mouth to feed.
“Government should make people have assurance on their jobs so that they can put their interest on it. Creation of employment for youths and access to loans to start business will go a long way”, she said.
In another session, Ambassador Peter Egwudah who spoke on the need to ‘Rethink the Economy Man to Actualise the SDG Goals’, corrected the impression that poverty has been in the nation long before Covid19.
“We also have high number of unemployment rate too prior to Covid19. Yes the pandemic affected us but what we shall do after this should be our concern.
“Our problem is not management according but lack of good leaders. It is the leaders who put us in the present mess. No nation in the world has all the resources but proper management of the little we have is used is most important”, he stated.
According to him, SDG has an international outlook and it’s core values has not been implemented in principle in the country.
“Yes many country device how to uplift the citizens just like the projection that our president is putting up in vision 2050 that will aid 100 million above poverty line. So Nigeria is a work in progress”, he concluded.
