Dwindling economy not peculiar to Nigeria, challenges surmountable, says Abdulsalami

Former Military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), has said current economic challenges facing Nigeria are not peculiar to the country, stressing that the nation has all it takes to triumph.

The former leader stated this in Abuja, yesterday, at the public presentation of a book, ‘The Making of Modern Nigeria: From pre-colonial Era Till Date’, published by Sun Publishing Limited.
Abdulsalami, who was chairman of the occasion, said although the country had been through a lot, the future remained bright.

He said: “A few days from today, our country will be celebrating its 63rd Independence anniversary. It has been 63 years of continuous efforts at making the country better; and for us as a nation to achieve our full potential.

“We have seen the good. We have seen the bad. And we hope for the best in the future. Nigeria is, no doubt, going through some challenges. No matter what we think or say, this prevailing atmosphere of faltering steps, great anxiety, and recriminations is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global phenomenon.

“The good news is that we have all it takes to surmount our challenges and press forward for a better Nigeria. To make this happen, all hands must be on deck to change our trajectory and make it possible for Nigeria to have its pride of place in the comity of nations.”

Abdulsalami said a necessary first step to the much-desired progress is to examine how the past was charted. According to him, when Nigerians know about the country, they would have invaluable insights on understanding present-day challenges and the way out.

He added: “Knowing Nigeria’s rich past and its present will serve as a springboard for us to work for the realisation of a Nigeria of our collective aspirations and dreams in the no distant future. I believe that the Nigeria of our dream is possible when we contribute our quota with every sense of patriotism and nationalism.”