Makinde: How Nigeria Can Create Lasting Prosperity

•Lauds Tinubu’s wife for Ibadan ICT centre

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that Nigeria must look beyond crude oil to create lasting prosperity, noting that  leaders must look after the people as well as invest more in education and entrepreneurship.

The governor stated this yesterday, while speaking at the commissioning/handover of the IT Community Centre donated to the Oladipo Alayande School of Science, Oke-Bola, Ibadan, by the wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Makinde, who appreciated the First Lady and others who contributed to its success, said Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence remained the path to the future. He promised that the Oyo state government would take full advantage of the facility.

He said: “ This is a quality job that you have done; it is not something that one can take for granted, especially when things are coming from far-removed standpoints. They can tell you that they have done it, but without good supervision, we won’t have this.

“My message is quite simple; I have heard people talk about how Nigeria does not have any business with poverty and I have asked them why. Their answers were always that we have natural resources; we have oil and solid minerals. I have always pointed out that natural resources alone cannot bring economic prosperity; there must be entrepreneurship and education.

“There must also be opportunities to grow based on where the world is going. About 50 years ago, if you had coal, you would be considered a rich country, because of the industrial revolution at that time. They were using coal to power railways and all sorts of things; there were coal power plants. But if you have coal today, it is a forgotten wealth literally.

“Today, we have oil but in some years to come, people will also forget oil. For us to create the kind of prosperity that will last, we must definitely look after our people; Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence are the roads to the future and I am glad that under the Renewed Hope Initiative, you have brought this to Oyo State.”

Also speaking, Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Tamunominini Makinde, appreciated Mrs Tinubu for donating the IT Centre named after former Minister of Industry, Chief Mrs Onikepo Akande.

In her speech, Mrs Tinubu noted that the IT Community Centre would give women and girls the knowledge that would help them with skills needed to empower communities, break traditional  barriers and give them access to new opportunities.

She noted that while the one commissioned is the third, about 10 others are ongoing across the country.

“Our programme is not political. We do the work because we are all Nigerians. And like I do say, positions would come and go, but they will ask you what you have done for your people. So, all our programmes are people-centred. We are not biased and we are not favouring one party over the other.

“Ten additional digital economy centres are ongoing and would be ready for commissioning soon. The knowledge of ICT serves as a significant tool for empowering communities, especially women, enabling them to break traditional barriers and access new opportunities,” she said.