President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that the current
\neconomic recession will ebb in 2017.<\/p>\n
Speaking Monday, in Abuja while declaring open an induction course
\norganised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Nigerian Career
\nAmbassadors-designate who were recently cleared by the Senate, President
\nBuhari said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are optimistic that the external factors that partly contributed to
\npush our economy into recession will ebb in 2017. Until then, I regret
\nthat the resources available to fund our missions abroad will not be as
\nrobust as we would like.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working hard to turn around our national economy by effectively
\nreforming our macroeconomic environment through measures, some of which
\nwere outlined in my budget speech to the National Assembly last week.\u201d<\/p>\n
The President, who said the prevailing economic circumstances have led to
\na restructuring of Nigerian missions abroad, reminded the
\nAmbassadors-designate that , \u201cas we are all making great sacrifices at
\nhome, we also expect you to similarly make judicious use of the resources
\nput at the disposal of your missions. As Heads of missions, you will be
\nheld accountable for the utilisation of all resources under your control.
\nThese are lean times, and all of us are expected to do more with less.\u201d<\/p>\n
President Buhari specifically charged the Ambassadors-designate to change
\nthe narrative of Nigeria outside the country by playing up the positive
\nvalues and outstanding contributions of Nigerians in the global arena.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to emphasise your duty to change the narrative of Nigeria as seen
\nby the outside world.\u00a0 For far too long, we have allowed Nigeria to be
\ndefined by others, always emphasizing our negatives. To the average
\nforeigner, Nigeria evokes 419, terrorism, militancy, communal and
\nreligious clashes, insecurity, corruption and all our other faults,\u201d he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The President continued: \u201cYou have the duty to correct this narrative by
\ntaking the initiative to define and portray our country for what it truly
\nis. We are a nation of 180 million vibrant, enterprising, hardworking,
\nhospitable and peaceful people. We are a remarkable nation that has
\nsucceeded in harnessing our multiple diversities as strengths such that we
\nare the leading country on the continent. Therefore, you will need to
\nmobilise, sensitise and motivate all your staff so that together you
\nengage with your host governments, the private sector and other segments
\nof the society to explain that Nigeria is much more than the negative
\nimage portrayed to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
President Buhari also enjoined them to leverage on the achievements of
\nNigerians within the country and in diaspora: Think of people like Nobel
\nLaureate, Wole Soyinka, Chinedu Echeruo who founded Hotspot application
\nwhich he sold to Apple for over a billion Dollars; think of Bayo Ogunlesi,
\nwho runs over a billion Dollar Infrastructure Fund and is now Adviser to
\nUS President-elect; and Jelani Aliyu, an accomplished car designer at
\nGeneral Motors. Indeed, these and other hardworking Nigerian professionals
\nin the diaspora have never forgotten their roots and have been making
\nsignificant contributions to their communities back home, and even to our
\neconomy through \u00a0their huge remittances.\u201d<\/p>\n
He urged them to sustain the work ethic characterized by the love of
\ncountry, professionalism, excellence, integrity and honour associated with
\nthe \u201cNigerian diplomatic tradition established in 1957 by the pioneers of
\nthe Nigerian Foreign Service, sometimes referred to as the \u201cTwelve
\nApostles\u201d and also \u201cbequeath same \u00a0\u00a0to succeeding generations. \u201d<\/p>\n
President Buhari also charged the Ambassadors-designate to stress
\nNigeria\u2019s commitment to international peace and security through
\ncontributions \u201cto nearly every UN peacekeeping initiative since 1960 when
\nwe achieved our independence. In addition, we are the stabilizers and
\nshock absorbers of West Africa having helped to contain potentially
\nde-stabilizing developments in the sub-region.\u201d<\/p>\n
He urged the Ambassadors\u2013designate always to be mindful of the national
\npriorities that \u201crevolve around the economy, security, anti-corruption,
\ngood governance, agricultural transformation and infrastructural
\ndevelopment, including rail, roads and power\u201d and use their roles \u201cas
\nPrincipal Representatives to build meaningful partnerships to attract
\nforeign investments, new skills and technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n
President Buhari stressed that \u201cas Nigerian Ambassadors, you must set the
\nstandard of putting Nigeria first in all your actions.\u00a0 You must show
\nleadership, fairness and justice to all.\u00a0 Discipline, probity,
\naccountability and zero tolerance for corruption must be your watchwords.
\nYou are expected to project the best image and traditions of our country
\nin your conduct and all you do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that the current economic recession will ebb in 2017. Speaking Monday, in Abuja while declaring open an induction course organised by the Ministry of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n