Former Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has stated that Nigeria is showing signs of commitment to democratic tenets in the last few years.
Fashola asserted while recently delivering a speech at the 2023 Standard Chartered Treasury Leadership Forum in Lagos.
He also stated that the new administration of President Bola Tinubu has the capacity to thrive, given the antecedents of the new Nigerian leader.
He said as the world searches for a new global legal order acceptable to all, prosperity will be anchored on soft power rather than military might.
”That is why Nigeria sustains the largest democratic political undertaking on the African continent,” the former minister of works and housing declared.
According to him, Nigeria has aggressively invested in her public infrastructure to support enterprise and her youthful and growing population.
He also noted that he had been directly involved in the efforts and went ahead to provide some details.
”At the last count in my handover notes in May of 2023, we had over 13,117.09 kilometres of roads under construction and rehabilitation.
”This is equivalent to driving from Abuja to Johannesburg and back, and at handover, over 9,000 km had been executed, and the number grows daily as work continues Kilometer after Kilometer.
”These roads link our air and sea ports, connect to our petroleum depots and strategic agricultural regions in addition to linking us to Neighbouring countries in the north, east, west and south of our international borders.”
The former minister stated that when the conversation is about markets in the African continent, ”size matters, and Nigeria has it.”
He also hailed the vibrant youths of Nigeria, noting that they dominate headlines in movies, music, fashion and sports.
Fashola assured the audience that President Bola Tinubu’s government would confront Nigeria’s challenges without any excuses.
”The largest democracy on the African Continent has just produced a political leadership whose record shows a capacity to thrive against the odds.
”It would be a very hard search to find a leader who won an election against such odds.
”That kind of resilience and resolve must stand the country in very good stead as she confronts tomorrow with a leader who does not surrender,” he concluded.
