..Says efforts must be made towards accelerating growth and development

Delegates at the 2024 Annual General Conference of the NBA were indeed thrown into ecstacy following the rich “meal” set on the table for consumption, by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala D-G World Trade Organization WTO, at the 64th edition of the NBA AGC

The opening event was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

Delivering her keynote address at the conference, titled, “A Social Contract for Nigeria’s Future,” Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, said that efforts must be made to accelerate national growth and development, stressing that Nigeria has all it takes to succeed.

She said efforts must be made towards accelerating growth and development, as Nigeria has all it takes to succeed.

The former Nigerian finance minister as well as first woman and first African to lead the WTO regretted that Nigeria was not progressing as much as it should in its over 60 years of existence.
“Strong macro-economic reforms is something we need in Nigeria. Oil has dominated Nigerian exports but we must diversify to agricultural and solid minerals exports,” she added.

Lamenting the lack of policy consistency, which, according to her, had also affected the growth of the country, Okonjo-Iweala said to minimise the volatility of inconsistent policies, Nigeria needed a social contract. She stressed that achieving a social contract involved the security of lives and national assets.

She said an organisation like the NBA had a role in achieving a social contract.

Okonjo-Iweala stated, “We need a new social contract to achieve growth in our country. My conviction on the need for a social contract is based on the need to tolerate different political parties and past administrations that preceded any administration in power.”