President, Bola Tinubu has met with Nigerians in India emphasizing the need to harness the diversity of the country to drive economic growth, innovation, and social progress for the nation.
The Nigerian Leader asserted while sharing his conviction with the Nigerian community in India.
President Tinubu also said that Nigeria’s prosperity will be derived directly from the nation’s diversity of talent and culture.
“We are here to present a new future to you. A future of a country that is so rich, endowed, and highly populated. Very dynamic, and unique in its culture, tradition, and ethnicity. That is what will make our prosperity possible if only we can make use of our diversity for prosperity,” the President implored.
President Tinubu further told the meeting that he contested for the highest office in the country to rewrite the narrative of leadership and public sector management deficit limiting the country from its full potential.
“We are not poor in knowledge. We are not poor in human resources. We are only poor in management and leadership, and that is why I ran for president, to help all of us mould the soul of our country in the right direction,” the President said.
Reflecting on the trajectory of his life, which prepared him for leadership, the President told the meeting that was attended by several Nigerian students studying in India, that with dedication, honesty, determination, and a change of mindset, they can reach for the top in their respective careers.
“Good education brought me here and I am happy to stand before you here as the President of Nigeria. I started small. I was a security guard. I was a tutor in school. I was a brilliant student. I joined Deloitte and was trained by one of the biggest accounting firms in the world, because of my education,” the President recollected.
“When I joined them, I asked them, do you have branches in Nigeria and they said, ‘We have a lot of clients that will take you if you want to go home.’ That’s how I got to Exxon Mobil and was a very successful accountant, auditor-general, and treasurer until I joined politics with a can-do attitude.
“You can also do it; do not be despondent in any way. Nigeria is ready to accommodate all. It does not matter which part of Nigeria you are from,” the President assured.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, while addressing the students, explained that President Tinubu’s foreign policy thrust included four Ds, with one of them being Diaspora, which focuses on improving the quality of services that Nigerians in the Diaspora receive at Nigerian Missions abroad.
“The issue of passport delays will be a thing of the past. You won’t have to wait indefinitely for your passports to be ready. Secondly, you are the first point of contact between Nigerians and other countries. We can’t grow beyond what our people project. That is why it is very important for you to project a consistently positive image of Nigeria online and offline,” Nigeria’s Chief Diplomat said.
Earlier, Business magnate, Mr. Tony Elumelu, told journalists that an investment in Nigeria promises a return that is scarcely found anywhere in the world.
“We believe in Africa, but especially in Nigeria. An investment in Nigeria promises a return that is scarcely found anywhere in the world and I do business across several continents,” Mr Elumelu concluded.
