Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says Nigeria needs to introduce community and grassroots programmes that will help create jobs for women and the youths of the country.
She said this is to be done in a bid to address some of the challenges confronting the nation.
She made the remark while speaking to State House Correspondents after she paid a visit to President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday.
The WTO Boss said she was home on a quiet visit and decided to lend voice on how to ameliorate the living conditions of citizens.
She said: “We saw the President and focused on how we can support Nigerians at this time of need. We all know that things are very difficult for Nigerians outside, everyone is struggling. I’m here myself on a quiet visit. So this was not really an official WTO mission but we’re able to engage with Mr. President, talk about what kinds of programmes that could be put in place to make sure that the suffering of Nigerians is being alleviated.
“And we had a really good conversation on trying to look at the community and grassroots programmes that can be put in place to create jobs for young people, trying to support women and children, who are bearing the brunt of some of the suffering in the country.”
The WTO Director General further disclosed that her discussion with the President also touched on the creation of digital trade for small scale business owners especially women.
“We talked about how for the longer term, we need to do that investment opportunities that Nigeria can cease, including in the pharmaceutical industry. We also talked about what type of support the World Trade Organization can bring.
“We’re already working in Nigeria with women in particular, who own small and medium enterprises to try to help them upgrade the quality of their products whether it’s in the agricultural area, in textiles and in other areas so that they can sell more internationally.
“We’re trying to help them with digital trade, the wave of the future digital trade, so how do we train and empower Nigerian women and owners of small and medium enterprises so they can trade more and create more jobs.
“So that is what we discussed with Mr. President and as the Director General of the World Trade Organization, we are going to try to do the most we can to support Nigerians and this particular time,” she stressed.
Succour
A ministerial nominee, Professor Ali Pate, who also paid a visit to the President, told Journalists that the Nigerian leader will improve the fortunes of the country.
“I think I’ll just reaffirm, that Mr. President is fully aware of the difficulties that people are facing, and committed and I think doing all that he can and with his team to ensure that those sufferings are alleviated.
“That was the main thrust of the conversation that we had in terms of targeting those who are most vulnerable, women, children, youth, attracting investment opportunities that can grow the economy so that people will get some succour because the difficulties that we’re facing are transitory.
“I think with the vision of the President there’s reason to be very hopeful that we’ll navigate through this difficult time and have a Nigeria that sees us stronger, united and conspired to the greatness that is in our future,” he said.
Prof. Pate said his discussion with the President touched on how to revamp the health sector of the nation.
“So Mr. President also discussed with us some of the vision on health that he has and I think it is great to see that health is one area where it connects everyone.
“Health affects everyone from the policy side, regulatory side, pharmaceuticals and quality of pharmaceuticals, the financing side, in terms of financial protection, health insurance, and all those elements, primary health care in every nook and cranny of this country, folks have ailments like malaria, vaccinations, treatment of basic diseases with primary healthcare system, as well as hospital care, which is very important.
“Because sometimes you have primary health care at the front ends you also have higher levels, care that is offered to tertiary facilities. And Mr President is very committed to all those policy interventions, not only on health, but in all other arenas that will bring succour to this country and to move our economy for the greatness that is in our future,”
Professor Pate said.
