Financial experts urge FG to declare national emergency …

 …on agriculture, education, ICT sectors

Some financial experts on Thursday urged the Federal Government to declare emergency on agriculture, education and Information Communications Technology (ICT) sectors.

They said in Lagos that the decay of the critical infrastructure nationwide made it imperative for a national emergency.

According to them, the enlisting of Nigeria among the 10 most populated countries of the world by 2050 by the Washington based Population Reference Bureau (PRB) remains a reminder to the national challenges.

PRB is a non-profit organisation that analyses and disseminates global demographic data and research.

According to the organisation, Africa, contrary to other opinions, is going to be a key driver in population growth over the next few decades.

They claimed that while the U.S. and other developed economies were streamlining their labour forces to accommodate aging population, most African countries, including Nigeria, were having a baby boom.

An economist, Dr Evans Osabuohien, said that the projections of PRB concerning Nigeria would have positive and/or negative ramification for the economy.

Osabuohien, who lectures at the Department of Development and Economics, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun, said it would enhance labour supply.

“As young ones grow up, become bread winners, they would contribute to the value chain in the labour market,” he said.

Financial experts urge FG to declare national emergency on agriculture, education, ICT sectors

 The don said that the fundamental preoccupation of government and the private sector should be anchored on leveraging on such opportunities for a better economy.

According to him, Africa needs to look inwards in harnessing its potential for sustainable growth and development. He also said that if the projections of PRB were anything to go by, then government should make the education sector more functional.

“The government should encourage a technologically driven education that will enable the country to compete favourably in the committee of advanced nations,” Osabuohien said.

He called for a meaningful engagement of youths, to save their brains from being hijacked by vices.