Taiwo Oyedele has just been named as Nigeria’s new coordinating minister of the economy. How about he hits the ground running with an ambitious plan like this

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Our reality is that exporting primary commodities can no longer sustain us. He should invite the following global icons to Nigeria this year as part of a plan announcing that the country is open for business:

[1] Barrack Obama

[2] Richard Branson

[3] Pep Guadiola

[4] David and Victoria Beckham

[5] Mike Tyson

[6] Lionel Messi

[7] Elon Musk

[8] Usain Bolt

[9] Serena Williams 

[10] Jennifer Lopez

[2] Apart from capital, we also need technology transfer because at the moment, Nigeria lacks the vocational skills to run an highly industrialised economy. Mr Oyedele needs to make this his number one priority

[3] I take the view that what we need now is a major event to announce to the whole world that it will no longer be business as usual. Mr Oyedele should start planning another Festac

[4] If you look at most of the world’s vibrant economies today, it took some major event or a Big Bang to get them going. It provided them with the proverbial kick up the backside, forcing them to step up production, accelerate manufacturing and pledge never to leave themselves vulnerable again. We need something similar

[5] For instance, the US quadrupled industrial output after the bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941. They went from being an agrarian economy to becoming the world’s biggest manufacturer of ships, automobiles, armaments, etc within three years

[6] China too has never been the same since Tiananmen Square. Faced the reality of massive social inrest and an inevitable revolution, the country decided to get its act together

[7] When I look at Vietnam too and the way they have turned their economy around since the US aggression and invasion in the 1960s, I just marvel at how a nation can get going once the will is there. Do you know that today, Samsung manufacturers about 40% of its phones in Vietnam?

[8] Japan is another unprecedented wonder. After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is like they pledged never to get left behind again. Just look at the technological advances Japan has made since, especially in the area of automobiles. No European car company would believe in 1945 that the likes of Toyota and Nissan would out-perform it on the international market but alas, that is the reality of today

[9] Nigeria, as the world’s largest black nation simply has to step up to the plate and take the initiative here. Any nation that imports goods in excess of $5m from an African nation must be compelled by international law to open up a manufacturing facility there. We cannot remain perpetual consumers

[10] Mr Oyedele needs to set stringent foreign direct investment and internally generated revenue targets for our 36 state governors. If we can get our federating units working, we will get out of the woods

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