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For economic growth, Tinubu challenges West African leaders to prioritise industry and education

In a Saturday message to West African leaders, President Bola Tinubu emphasised the importance of utilising the region’s young population.

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The importance of industrialisation, education, and innovation to the region’s economic growth was something he emphasised repeatedly.

During his opening remarks at the first-ever West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja, he made the claim. The young, energetic people of the area are its greatest strength, according to Tinubu.

“Investments in education, digital infrastructure, innovation, and productive enterprise must be matched by this demographic promise or it will quickly become a liability,” he said.

He highlighted Nigeria’s initiatives on youth empowerment, digital connectivity, and skills development to emphasise the need of regional cooperation.

“No nation can do this alone,” he said. We can’t make it without data structures, energy networks, and regional supply chains. Or they’ll fall apart if we don’t plan them jointly. As for removing trade obstacles in the area, the Nigerian president asked for their help.

With intra-regional commerce still below 10%, he voiced serious worry that West Africa must “coordinate or collapse” if it wants to be relevant on the global economic stage.

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