Japa: Nigeria won’t prosper and develop, if… — Okonjo-Iweala

The director-general of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has bemoaned the rate at which skilled young Nigerians are fleeing the country in their pursuit for greener pastures.

Speaking at the 2023 induction for re-elected and elected governors on May 15, the former finance minister said young Nigerians will not be keen to relocate abroad if they can thrive in the country.

Stressing that Nigeria will str¥ggle to “develop & prosper” if the youths keep leaving the country, Okonjo-Iweala appealed to the governors to focus on nation-building and invest in the infrastructure & education system of their respective states.

According to her, “With our large numbers of educated people fluent in English – together with a deep network of connections to the diaspora – we are well positioned to seize these opportunities.

But such businesses, like our tech startups will struggle to thrive if we keep losing so many of our most skilled young people to emigration.