Osinbajo At Leadership Newspaper Awards, Highlights Nigeria’s Bright Talents, Role Of Democratic Institutions In Socio-Economic Development

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*VP, former Kenyan Prime Minister Odinga headline annual conference

Nigeria has a plethora of talents and potential that can be nurtured and harnessed into greatness, especially when given the right environment to blossom into fullness.

This was the view of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, yesterday at the 14th edition of the Leadership Newspapers Annual Conference and Awards, which had former Prime Minister of Kenya, Mr. Raila Odinga as Guest Speaker. The event themed “Credible Elections & an Economy in Transition” held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

“There is so much budding talent to nurture to greatness in Nigeria. We must create an environment that permits these talents to bloom into the fullness of their potential,” Prof. Osinbajo stated, noting that this year’s awardees “are icons of our collective possibilities as a people.”

In his remarks as the Special Guest of Honour and Chairman of the event, the Vice President emphasized that the economy is a major issue of significance for both the people and the government alike, especially in a country with over 200 million people.

“Certainly, bread and butter trump everything else. In our democracy, where we have today over 200 million people, 90 million of whom require education, jobs and opportunities and all requiring healthcare, infrastructure and social services, the enormity of the challenges is stark,” he noted.

He also noted the significance of democratic institutions in driving socioeconomic development, protecting the well-being of citizens and providing equal access to opportunities.

While acknowledging the presence of former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, who was the Keynote Speaker at the event, Prof. Osinbajo described Odinga’s speech as insightful, noting that “if there is anyone who can comment with authority on the topic anywhere in Africa, it is surely Raila Odinga.”

According to the VP, listening to Mr. Odinga “you see that he is really an encyclopedia of sorts in observing elections in Nigeria and elsewhere.”

Continuing, the VP said, “democracy, the rule of law, and the election of our governments by free and fair elections are crucial because they are meant to support the primary objective of enabling citizens to live well and have access to well-paying jobs, opportunities, and services. Or in a broad sense, to support the growth and stability of the economy of the nation.

“It is evident then that we must carefully curate these safeguards for the wellbeing of our citizens to ensure that they do not negatively affect the very well-being that they are meant to protect, namely the economy.”

According to the Vice President, this is a delicate task because, as he noted, “in every election cycle, the first casualty is the economy. There is a reluctance to invest, and consumers are careful not to spend their savings or be bullish in the stock market sometimes because of the fear of electoral disturbances that might spiral out of control and make business and commerce impossible.”

Addressing Nigeria’s elites specifically, the Vice President also observed that aside from the growth and stability of the economy, the other tests of credibility of the country’s elections would be in the conduct of the elections and “integrity of the umpire and the electoral courts.”

His words: “the political elite in Nigeria have a duty in the interest of the economic wellbeing of our citizens to ensure that elections and electoral dispute resolution processes are free, fair and credible. This is the least we can offer our nations and the continent.

“Where the umpire is perceived as unfair there is potential for trouble. Where the courts are perceived as arbitrary, whimsical or acting in contradiction to established precedents, there is an almost commensurate loss of confidence by the electorate.”

On the credibility of elections in democracies and economic growth, the Vice President noted that the “legitimacy of governments, as conferred by the freely given mandate of the electorate, is a major consideration for savvy, substantial local or foreign investors. Capital, they say is a great coward, running away from the slightest sign of trouble.”

At the event, the VP also acknowledged the influence of Nigerian women to nation building and socio-economic development, even as he highlighted the contributions of Commonwealth and world record holder in the 110 meters hurdles for women, Tobi Amusan; the Group Managing Director, Mojec International, Ms Chantelle Abdul; and MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe.

While Amusan was jointly named alongside the President of the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), Dr. Benedict Oramah; and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Gen. Buba Marwa (retd) as Leadership Newspaper Persons of the Year 2022; Abdul and Onyeali-Ikpe were among this year’s Leadership awardees in business and banking respectively.

According to the VP, the awardees of the day “have shown what is achievable when you have the right people in the right positions in the public and private sectors in our country and the result of hard work, diligence and focus in personal and national development.”

Also congratulating General Buba Marwa who he said has “led perhaps the most effective and result-oriented fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria and internationally,” and of Oramah, the VP said he “has shown that our EXIM bank in Africa can proactively and creatively provide and target capital to relevant sectors to drive economic change and prosperity in our nations.”

The VP then commended the chairperson of the Leadership Group, Mrs. Zainab Nda-Isaiah, for taking up the mantle of leadership of the group with clarity of vision and diligence.

He added that the late founder of the newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah, “believed strongly that the role of the media is to serve as the foremost moderator of public discourse and to be an impartial yet impassioned umpire of the grand debates over our country’s future.

The Vice President was also honoured with a special recognition award at the event.