Clinton Visits Nigeria With the Country’s Challenges in Mind

Bill Clinton, former President of the United States visited Abeokuta, Ogun State capital on February 26, 2013 to discuss Nigeria’s challenges. Clinton stated that the three major challenges facing the country are the failure to manage it’s natural resources, wealth distribution and how to take the “intellectual and organizational ability” of Nigerians abroad and bring it back for the entire country to move forward.

The 42nd US President spoke at the 18th Annual Awards of ThisDay newspaper, which celebrated the country’s best teachers, discussed how leaders can handle unemployment, brain-drain and to take full advantage of it’s citizens’ potential.

 According to AllAfrica.com, Clinton “…said Nigerian leaders mismanaged the proceeds from oil, under-utilized technology and failed to retain its best brains.”

He spoke before former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Emmanuel Uduaghan and other distinguished Nigerians.

 Clinton stated his three main challenges for Nigeria in greater detail:

"First of all, like 90 percent of the countries which have one big resource, you haven't done well with your oil money. You should have reinvested it in different ways. Now you are at least not wasting the natural gas. You are developing it in pipelines but you don't do a better job of managing natural resources.

"Secondly, you have to somehow bring economic opportunity to the people who don't have. This is not a problem specific to Nigeria. Almost in every place in the world, prosperity is heavily concentrated in and around urban areas.

"The third thing is there has to be a way to take the staggering intellectual and organizational ability that Nigerians exhibit in every country in the world in which they are immigrant and bring it to bear here, so that the country as a whole can rise.

Now former President Clinton did provide solutions, which were to “solve the economic divide” easing the political divisions, setting up an investment fund by the Nigeria’s Federal Government, invest in infrastructure and empower people through education, so they can thrive at home and abroad.

Are Nigerian leaders already well aware of the country’s challenges and solutions, or did Clinton present anything new or helpful? Share your thoughts!