By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – FOR rapid economic development, the President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, NABG, Arch Kabir Ibrahim, Tuesday, called for inclusivity and equity to drive Nigeria’s progress in policies and programmes in all geopolitical zones of the country using the Northern knot symbol as a desirable template.

Speaking with Vanguard, Ibrahim noted the policies and several efforts to boost agribusiness and other Micro Small Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, but expressed deep concerns about the appointments and development agenda by the federal government, which he said inclusivity and equity should be topmost focus for rapid development across the geopolitical zones.

Meanwhile, the Northern Knot is intertwined lines, which represent unity in diversity across the many ethnic groups of the region, Ibrahim said the policies of the government should be tailored in that pattern so no part of the country would feel sidelined in its policies, appointments and implementation of programmes.

According to him, “Nigeria is on the cusp of an economic revolution judging from the several efforts around Agribusiness, Micro Small Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, development, and Small Business Administration, SBA, models being deployed.”

He further stated that, “The population of Nigeria is conservatively 230 million and still counting with a projection of becoming 400 million in 24 years but unfortunately largely economically challenged. The search for making daily life easier for the citizens occupies a prime place in the current National governance programmes being reeled out.

“The impact of these efforts is not perceived to be inclusive and equitable largely due to distrust as well as lack of adequate transparency.”

However, the NABG boss counselled that, “The much needed reforms need to have universal appeal to be appreciated by all Nigerians in order to become sustainably efficacious and impactful.”

He further stated that, “A truthful and transparent implementation of all the programmes with every Nigerian included will change the perception of sectionalism and lack of transparency now being articulated by the opposition as well as most of the commentators in the public domain.”

Meanwhile, he called on the government to ensure that “Re-enacting Nigeria’s governance as one seeking to improve the lives of all Nigerians in all regions in equal and equitable measure will unify Nigeria and tie all persons in one KNOT as dreamt by the founding fathers of Northern Nigeria.”