Nigeria Can Become Major Player in Global Economy—Minister

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

By virtue of its human and natural resources endowments, Nigeria has the potential to become a major player in the global economy.

This was the submission of Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Prof Stephen Ocheni, when he received executive members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Abuja and District Society led by its Chairman, Mr Ben Ogbeide.

According to the Minister, “Nigeria has the potential to become a major player in the global economy by virtue of its human and natural resource endowments.

“In order to propel the economy towards sustained accelerated growth, the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari developed the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017-2020) for the purpose of restoring economic growth and building a globally competitive economy.”

Furthermore, the Minister emphasized that the present administration drive towards rejuvenating the economy focused on tackling corruption, improving security and rebuilding the economy consequently the Strategic Implementation Plan was developed as a short term intervention.

Mr Ocheni urged the Institute to support the revenue drive of the Federal Government to finance government budget by disseminating information on tax awareness to the people on the need to pay tax as at when due, thereby accelerating the pace of economic and infrastructural transformation of Nigeria.

“I charge you all as a professional body to put on your thinking cap and come up with laudable plan and programme that can bring about an increase in the revenue drive of the Federal Government, thereby accelerating the pace of economic and infrastructural transformation of Nigeria, and contribute further to the attainment of the goal of promoting its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan,” the Minister disclosed.

Earlier in his remark, Chairman of CITN, Abuja and District Society, Mr Ben Ogbeide, said the purpose of the visit was to intimate the Minister, who is also a fellow of the Institute, on effort at increasing awareness about the imperative need to promote tax payment and make people see the need to pay tax.