Kashim Shettima has warned Nigerians against cursing the country amid ongoing economic hardship, stating that those who criticize Nigeria will not benefit from the system.
Shettima made this remark at the 2024 Nigerian Risk Leadership Summit and Awards in Abuja, themed “Connecting Risks Resilience and Innovation for Sustainable Growth.”
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, Tope Fasua, Shettima emphasized the presence of opportunities in Nigeria and urged citizens to focus on the nation’s positive aspects.
He stated, “There are a lot of opportunities in Nigeria. Let us count our blessings. Let us not put our country down.
“It cannot be tales of woes all the time. As bad as things are today and with all the inflation, there are sectors that are doing incredibly well. The health sector is doing very well. The petroleum sector is doing well. The Agric sector is doing well, for those who are planting cassava.
“People buy it there on the farm. I am not saying that things are easy. The government has come with very tough reforms.
“However, you have to position yourself in the reform. If you go out and say Nigeria is a shitty country, forgive my French, you are going to get shitty results. Someone said that you are not going to benefit from the country that you curse.”
Looking ahead, Shettima stated that the government plans to elevate many indigenous companies to the global stage and foster innovation in the business sector.
“Whereas we are working towards taking many of our companies global and opening up the economy to more innovations in the business space, we celebrate our MSMEs and urge them to do a lot more.
“Innovation is the key to modern wealth and prosperity and is fused with sustainability. Innovation is about adding value to what we already have and making the lives of human beings easier,” he added.
