The United States Government has urged Nigerians to seek internal solutions to the challenges confronting Africa’s most populous nation.
US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington made the call on Tuesday at the launch of Feed the Future Initiative, a US government-funded $15.7m agribusiness investment programme in Abuja.
Some of the states expected to benefit from the programme include Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, Cross River and others.
The programme is expected to boost public and private sector partners, connect micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and entrepreneurs with larger firms, and engender reform to enhance ease of doing business.
Symington said that while Nigeria occupied a strategic global position because of its population and size, the country must look beyond international donor funding to develop economically.
The ambassador said, “The whites will come and go, donors will come and go. But what will not come and go is what we grow. Nobody will grow the future of Nigeria other than Nigerians.
“The world cares about Nigeria because of Nigeria’s size, population and growth strength. Nigeria is great because the number is here. But if the number does not have an equal opportunity of production what looks magnificent from a distance can become a close reflection of something of great value.”
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