Nigeria shall overcome by Atiku Abubakar

Nigeria is marking her 56^th birthday at a time of turbulent economic crisis. This may cause some citizens of our country to feel that all hope is lost, that there is nothing worth celebrating. However, this current crisis is not a time for grief, regret or recrimination. It is an opportunity for all of us to roll up our sleeves and support the government in the arduous task of revitalizing the core elements of our national economy.

We are witnessing an increasing loss of foreign confidence in the ability of Nigerians to resolve the economic downturn. There has been a slowdown of badly needed foreign investment, which has decelerated economic development that is so essential to the well-being of the ordinary Nigerian. The average Nigerian is worried about the state of things and yearning for a vibrant economy within a peaceful and stable environment so that he/she can carry on with daily endeavours to make ends meet.

This time demands that we cut our coat according to our cloth, but more than anything else it demands that we lend a helping hand to one another and form a formidable coalition to push back the recession. We didn’t come to this state by our own choice. True, we might have made some mistakes in not being frugal at the time of surplus; it may also be true also that our policy makers kept on living in denial when this recession could have been nipped in the bud. But the mistake we must not make at the moment is to imagine that the antidote to this current crisis lies with any one man/woman or the government alone. We all must come together as patriots to fight back this ugly situation.

Despite our litany of problems and divergent agitations, I am confident and full of abiding faith that the Nigeria of today is faced with great opportunities, immediately and in the near future. We are making significant headway in our fight against the scourge of corruption. We are at the zenith of producing our own food and aggressively diversifying our economy. We are in the process of empowering our youths and adequately subsidizing our small business owners. We are ensuring massive harvesting and full utilization of all of our natural resources. These are lofty goals and great challenges, but I am confident that, together, we can accomplish them with ease. No problem is insurmountable if we embrace peace and eschew those views that divide us as a nation.