Insecurity ‘becoming a challenge for the economy’

The Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) says Nigeria’s rising insecurity is becoming a challenge, which is bad for the economy.

Speaking during the board meeting of the association, president of APBN, Akin Oyegbola, said the country is yet to recover from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and #EndSARS crisis.

He said the nation needs a peaceful atmosphere to attract attention from foreign and local investors.

Oyegbola said the change of baton at the top echelon of security apparatus may not be the only requirement but the small beginning of a completely different far-reaching and effective strategy for providing the much needed security for lives and properties in the land.

He said it has been proven that Nigerian professionals can hold their own anywhere in the world.

“The APBN strongly requests the NCDC to urgently ensure the sequencing of the variants of SAR-COV-2 circulating in Nigeria. This, in addition to conducting a dossier of currently available vaccines, will guarantee that Nigerians gets the most appropriate vaccine,” he said.

“We use this opportunity to commend the federal government and other African countries that are signatories to the the landmark Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. The Association will also like to appeal to the nation’s professional associations to leverage this trade agreement that provides them the opportunity of exploring the different opportunities inherent in the various African markets”

Also speaking, the director general, National  Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), DanAzumi Inrahim, said rather than going abroad to look for expatriates that would execute projects in the country, the federal government ought to engage competent indigenous professionals

He said one of the ways the current administration intended to demonstrate such commitment was through its Executive Order  5, which, he added, the government was vigorously pursuing.

According to him, the federal government is gradually moving towards the implementation  of the Order, signed by the president, to encourage Nigerian professionals.

He added that the federal government, through NOTAP, would be collaborating with associations, such as the APBN, and  also develop  a database that would consist of list of qualified professionals in the country, as a way making the order work.

“By doing that, we are sure that with the click  of a button, we are able to know where to find who, when projects are about to be implemented, instead of  the tradition of looking beyond the shores of the land for professionals that would execute such projects,” he added.