Fellow Compatriots,
On this day 51 years ago, the British Union Jack was lowered and
replaced by our national Green-White-Green flag, heralding the
independence of our nation. The 1st of October remains a special day for
us, for Africa, and indeed the world.
As we celebrate today, we remember with pride, the nationalism and
patriotism that inspired our founding fathers and the Nigerian people.
They set aside their differences, to secure the unity and independence
of our great country.
That is the Nigerian spirit! For the Nigerian spirit cannot be
broken. We are a resilient nation, determined to chart a course, through
the turbulent waters of nation building. The Nigerian spirit is vibrant
today in the world.
Our citizens at home and abroad, are making their mark in all fields
of human endeavour. These hard-working and committed Nigerians, remain a
source of pride to us and a beacon of what is achievable, if we remain
focused and determined.
I know that a great number of you are joining hands with me and the Administration, in the great task ahead.
I value all Nigerians. I see our youth who are looking for jobs and
yet remain hopeful. I see the farmer, and fisherman, toiling everyday to
earn a living. I see the teacher, working hard, to train our future
generations, with much sacrifice. I see the market women whose
entrepreneurial spirit helps to generate income for their children and
families. I see our sportsmen and women training hard to bring glory to
our nation. I see our resilience and commitment, as a nation, to defend
our democracy and secure our future.
I see every single profession and vocation, making positive
contributions to national progress. I value you all! Together, we shall
work for a Nigeria in which democracy and the rule of law are
sacrosanct. A country where corruption and its attendant vices, are
banished. A country where human life is sacred and respected, and where
the rights of the individual are protected.
Nigeria is a young entity in the comity of nations and yet in her 51
years, she has made significant strides in making her presence felt all
over the world. Our diplomatic and peacekeeping efforts, in various
parts of the continent, have helped to end conflict and avert crises. In
sustaining global security, our intervention has been crucial to peace,
progress and democracy for the citizens of the affected countries.
The journey to nationhood always has its own challenges. Nigeria has
had her own share. Our growing pains as a nation have included the civil
war, the June 12 election crisis and restlessness in the Niger Delta.
But Nigeria has always overcome each of these challenges. We overcame
before. We will overcome yet again.
Today, as a nation, there is much for us to celebrate. We celebrate our diversity. We celebrate our entrepreneurial spirit.
We celebrate our resilience and ability to turn adversity into hope.
We celebrate our culture. For the labours of our heroes past, shall
never be in vain.
As your President, let me reassure all Nigerians that I remain
resolutely committed to the ideals and dreams of our founding fathers.
Let me also reassure Nigerians that I will strongly defend the peace and
stability of our nation.
My administration will spare no effort in fighting crime, building
peace, and securing our homeland against internal threats and
infiltration by violent groups, from outside our borders.
We condemn all acts of violence and declare that such acts of
mindless savagery shall not be allowed to define our country. We will
not be deterred. Our resolve is strong.
I have put in place a new and reinvigorated national security
strategy, to combat the threat to our safety. Yet, no matter what I do
as your President and no matter what we do as your elected leaders, at
all levels, the peace and security of our nation rest also on our
collective efforts as citizens, in our various communities.
All leaders and citizens, in every community, must therefore make
peace the number one priority of their daily routine. This is because,
without peace, no community can realize its objectives or achieve a
happy and productive life for its members.
The current incidents of violence and terror, in parts of the
country, will surely be overcome. We will secure the safety of our
citizens for only when we do this, will we be able to build the needed
peace and tranquillity in all parts of the federation.
Securing our peace and stability will ensure economic growth and prosperity for all.
Since I assumed office, as the President of our great country, I have
continued to focus my attention on the economy. I have taken several
measures to address structural weaknesses which stand between us and
economic growth and prosperity for all.
We are growing our economy, to generate employment opportunities for
our teeming youth and enhanced prosperity for every citizen. This
remains the main focus of my administration.
In a few days time, I shall launch an innovative competition for our
young entrepreneurs to come up with ways to expand their businesses,
create more jobs, and sharpen their business skills.
Now, it is very clear that without fundamental reforms in the key
sectors of our economy, we will not be able to fully unlock our
potential as a nation. We must manage our resources more prudently and
efficiently. We must provide stable electricity to our citizens to help
drive economic activity.
I call on our political leaders to put aside partisan politics, for
united action towards the advancement of our nation. We must build
together.
Because of the measures we have taken on the economy, our GDP is
today one of the fastest growing in Africa. We are currently growing
the economy at 7.8%. We expect to sustain an 8% growth rate and a better
GDP in the medium term, on our journey towards realizing our Vision
20:2020 goal.
We shall strive to make this growth, job creating and inclusive.
Growth in agriculture and other non-oil sectors are crucial, to help
diversify the economy and to generate much needed jobs. Agriculture
remains one of the highest priorities in my government’s Agenda for
National Transformation. We have set out clear, agricultural,
transformation action plans and policy measures, to achieve
self-sufficiency in the production of rice, cassava, maize, sorghum and
other staple foods.
Self-sufficiency in rice alone will save us the 356 Billion Naira
that we currently spend annually importing rice. We will revamp the way
we distribute fertilizers, taking government out of distribution of
fertilizers.
We plan to reach 20 million farmers with private-sector distributed
fertilizers over the next four years. We will improve the investment
environment and incentives for the private sector across the
agricultural value chains. Our agricultural transformation plan will
generate 3.5 million jobs and an additional 20 million metric tons of
food.
But we must all show pride in our farmers. We should eat what we
produce. The increasing popularity of local products, like ‘Ofada Rice’,
‘Badegi rice’, and ‘Abakaliki Rice’, attest to the fact, that the
populace will readily embrace locally grown produce.
We must also take pride in our scientists. This week, Nigeria
released 8 new high yielding cocoa varieties. This will help to
transform cocoa production, across the 14 cocoa producing states in the
nation.
We have put in place implementable programmes to transform our Nation
from an importer of petroleum products, to the regional hub for
exportation of value-added petroleum and petrochemical products. We are
revamping existing refineries and building three new ones.
We are effectively supporting the private-sector led construction of
world scale petrochemical and fertilizer plants. This will for the first
time in our history, result in effective monetization of our abundant
natural gas resources while at the same time, creating over a million
jobs.
Our potential is huge. We have the requisite market volume. We have a youthful, energetic, and hardworking population.
The structural and managerial bottlenecks, that have obstructed our
economic growth, are being addressed, to unleash the energy and
potentials of this nation.
To achieve this, I am determined to ensure that Nigerians have
reliable electricity. Our economy will grow faster, and our hard working
small businesses will thrive, when we finally fix the power challenges
we face. We are fast tracking power reforms, to improve the generation
and distribution of electricity.
Already, we are beginning to do things differently. I believe that
integrity, honour, patriotism, selfless service and fear of God, must be
the hallmarks of leadership at all levels.
A nation is sustained by its institutions and systems. I have taken
strong measures to improve on governance. It is in this regard, that I
signed into law, the Freedom of Information Act. I will further
strengthen all institutions, to ensure greater transparency, probity,
and accountability at all levels.
Last year, I promised to restore confidence in our electoral system
and pledged to deliver free and fair elections. To achieve that, we
initiated some electoral reforms and strengthened INEC and other related
agencies.
As a result, our April 2011 general elections was adjudged by
Nigerians and the international community as the most transparent and
credible elections, ever conducted in our country. Indeed, post-election
petitions reduced by over 50%.
Let me assure all Nigerians of my resolve to lead our nation into a
safer, more peaceful, and prosperous future for our children.
For the time has come, to rise above ethnic and religious divisions;
The time has come, to unite against violence, in all its ramifications;
The time has come, to secure our peace, and unite against suffering, and deprivation;
I see a new Nigeria rising. A Nigeria, that is economically strong. A
Nigeria, that takes its rightful place of leadership in the world. A
Nigeria, that uses its diversity to reinforce its strength. A Nigeria,
we all can be proud of.
This is the Nigeria we need and this is the Nigeria, we all must build.
As we celebrate today, let us resolve to build the Nigeria of our future.
I thank you.
God bless you all.
And God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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