The elite class in Nigeria must unanimously agree on the fundamentals of the economy, including the norms of the social system, to accomplish national economic turnaround, Professor Yakubu Ochefu has suggested.
Ochefu, the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), said that the current state of the economy required elite consensus; a phenomenon which most developed social formations, according to him, had in common.
He was speaking as a panellist at the 7th annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), held in Abuja.
He stressed a need to address the issue of elite consensus if the country must talk about economic growth and sustainable development.
According to Ochefu, the character and lifestyle of the elite class played a significant role in shaping the country’s development trajectory.
The panellist further advised the government to improve its investment in education, noting that Nigeria was doing 9% in terms of space for higher education as “the over 200 Universities we have are not enough to cater for large number of Nigerians seeking tertiary education”.
He decried a situation where those in position of leadership amassed wealth more than they needed to the detriment of the economy and the Nigerian people.
Other panelists included Hadiza Bala Usman while the keynote address on ‘Nigeria: Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability’ was presented by Prof Uche Uwaleke, a professor of capital market and the Special Adviser to the Senate Committee Chairman on Capital Market.
Earlier in her welcome remarks, the president of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, said security was important as there can be no investment without security and underscored the purpose of the conference theme.
“There is a new administration in town, so there is a need to assist them with professional information to build a sound roadmap.”
Giving a background on GOCOP and the choice of Abuja, the president, who is the publisher of RealNews online, noted the group is made up of mediapreneurs who are seasoned practitioners.
GOCOP, she said, had created mechanisms to control and discipline any erring members to ensure credibility in online journalism.
The 2023 conference was chaired by the chief executive officer and Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, whereas the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris led the Federal Government delegation to the annual conference.
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