China’s Development, An Inspiration For Nigeria – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed optimism that if China could effectively, through its industrial and manufacutring sector, become the largest economy in the world, Nigeria can also achieve a similar feat in Africa.

The president made this known on Monday during the inauguration of the Advisory Committee for the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The 25-member committee, which has the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Segun Aganga, as the chairman, has business mogul and Africa’s wealthiest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, as the Alternate Chair.

Jonathan said it was impressive what China had achieved in terms of industrialisation in recent times, noting that from a purely agrarian economy in 1978 with high unemployment, little wealth, and little technology, the East Asian country rose to an enviable height among the comity of nations.

He said, “Today we have a half trillion dollar economy by far the largest in Africa and we have the ninth largest workforce in the world. I believe in this country, I believe in our entrepreneurial spirit. If China can do it I believe we can also do it.

“To accomplish this however, we must do things differently, we must begin to add value to our resources through research development. We must industrialise and the Nigerian Industrialisation Revolution Plan is our agenda to achieve this”.

President Jonathan argued that no country had become prosperous only by extracting and exporting its raw materials.

According to him, nations could only generate wealth for their people primarily by adding value to resources.

This, he explained, informed his decision to inaugurate the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan earlier this year.