THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY
It is commendable that President Buhari plans a national dialogue on the state of the economy. As desirable as the dialogue is, the President must ensure it is all inclusive to include the working people, organized labour in particular. What Nigeria needs is a national consensus on the economy not another elite consensus that has proven to lead to nothing in the past but corruption and underdevelopment. To this extent as demanded by the Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka, this dialogue must involve organized labour represented by the NLC and TUC, manufacturers association, MAN, NECA, women groups and youths among others.

TIME TO WORK THE ECONOMIC TALKS
The proposed dialogue should be on how to implement existing tons of policy measures on economic recovery not to reinvent new measures. Past Governments have organized countless conferences, summits and debates with reports and recommendations in the past, many of which have not been implemented to redirect and diversify the economy. Some of the reports and recommendations that are presently gathering dusts include: the Abacha National Conference of 1995; Vision 2010; Vision 20 20:20; NEEDS; the 2013 National Industrialization Plan, 2014 National Conference Report, National Industrial Revolution Plan each with different recommendations on the economy. Its time to implement these reports and recommendations and move Nigeria from potentials to actuals in terms of development and prosperity.

President Buhari must also send his economic teams to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos and draw on thousands of policy recommendations and implementable strategies on the economy.

NIGERIA NOT A DEBATING SOCIETY BUT A FUNCTIONING ECONOMY
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic (as amended) envisages Nigeria as a functional productive economy not a debating society. Chapter Two of the Constitution, the Fundamental Objectives and directive Principles of State state that “The primary purpose of government shall be the welfare of the people.” Nigeria has never been short of conferences, summits and debates. The point cannot overstated; President Buhari should be encouraged to implement some of these reports and recommendations. With the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA), Mr. President has already shown that where there is a will, there is a way out of the seemingly perpetual economic vicious cycles. The implementation of TSA has enhanced accountability and transparency in financial governance, the results of which we can see.

INDUSTRIALIZATION IS THE KEY
The key to Nigeria’s development lies in industrialisation. It is wrong to pitch oil and gas against non-oil sector. Nigeria needs all sectors through value adding activities. Oil and gas must be run as manufacturing value adding sectors not as extractive enclave. Its time to re-industrialize Nigeria. However, there cannot be industrialisation without electrification.

We are excited by President Buhari’s commitment to revive the textile industry. All the administration needs is to immediately implement the Robust Recommendations of the 2015 Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) policy. Some of the Key recommendations include the followings;

Energy Supply- Between 30% and 35% of Textile and garment manufacturing costs are energy related expenses; therefore, without addressing the industry’s energy needs, the Nigeria CTG sector simply cannot develop.

Stop Smuggling: Nigeria needs a presidential task-force made up of Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (MITI), Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), and Manufactures Association of Nigeria (MAN) to confiscate goods Smuggled into the country.

Local Patronage – All military and Para-military agencies and Government schools are to purchase only Nigerian made textile and garments for their uniforms once the requisite standards are met. In addition, the private sector (schools in particular) should be encouraged to source their materials locally.
PRESIDENT’s FOREIGN TRIPS COMPLIMENTARY OF DOMESTIC TRIPS
While we appreciate the foreign trips being embarked upon by President Muhammadu Buhari, we call on the President to see foreign trips as compliments to governance tours at home. It is desirable looking for foreign investments, but we have a lot of idle domestic investments that if properly harnessed and necessary infrastructure put in place could accelerate national economic development. Seeing is believing; the President, governors and ministers of industry must see the exiting idle investments in all the industrial estates of the past with a view of reviving the closed industries and create mass jobs for millions of unemployed youths.

CONDEMN THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN UGANDA AND ZIMBABWE
Let me use this opportunity to strongly condemn the sham election that took place in Uganda in which Yoweri Museveni was returned to office for the 5th term as President of Uganda after three decades in office. It is even unacceptable that he is planning to amend the constitution to change the age limit as contained in the country’s Constitution. Also in Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe at the age of 92 has remained in office since 1980 contrary to the wishes and aspirations of the good people of Zimbabwe.

All African democratic forces should frown at what is going on in Uganda and Zimbabwe. When citizens are demanding for change it is incumbent on their leaders to respect their wishes even when the constitutions have no time limit. Both President Museveni and President Mugabe must learn from Nelson Mandela who did not even take the advantage of two terms but with Honour and dignity and service to humanity, remains a role model in global leadership. There is much honour when a leader voluntarily retires than when shamefully disgrace out of office.

Issa Aremu, mni