Former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has urged Nigerian Government to maximise the potentials of its citizens to bring about more economic growth.
He made the appeal at the 16th edition of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation Lecture Series in collaboration with Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) held on Monday at Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking on the theme, “Rehumanising Human Experience: A Synopsis of Anyiam-Osigwe’s Treaties, “Johnson stressed the importance of human potential and how best to maximise potentials of the citizens. He said that government must ensure some criteria if it hoped to enhance the potentials of its citizens.
According to him, safety and equality under the law; the right to choose and remove those who govern them; freedom to live as they wish provided within the law; guaranteeing a society that is open and without discrimination are some of the criteria.
He added that government should ensure a seamless and cost-effective transportation system and provide qualitative education for both male and girl children to avoid extinction of human talents. He called for further collaboration and synergy between Nigeria and Britain in order to tackle similar challenges together and do more together.
Earlier, the Coordinator General of the foundation, Charles Anyiam-Osigwe, stated that the purpose of the foundation was to realise a better world order which could be made possible with the potentials built in man.
He noted that, “in earth-bound existence, whether in the development of the sciences, technology, architecture, environment, economics and economic policy, agriculture, industry, ethical sustainability, man was the factor in giving direction and determining the depth of development.