By Hajia Sani
Abuja — The African Union Development Agency- New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Nigeria, on Saturday called for more collaboration among Nigerian stakeholders to create jobs and engage the teeming youths.
Princess Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator and Chief Executive officer of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria made the call in a statement signed by Abolade Ogundimu, Media Assistant to the C.E.O of the agency.
Akobundu sued for patriotic collaboration among corporate and individual citizens of Nigeria to emphasise importance of teamwork to achieve set objectives as the world marks International Day of Cooperatives on July 6.
AUDA-NEPAD Boss said the call became imperative as the nation’s development strides faced discordant tunes from banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and ritual killings and urged Nigerians to collectively discourage illegal migration.
“More cooperation among stakeholders in every sector of the economy is needed now more than ever before.
“The whole world, including Africa is moving on fast; let us cooperate with one another as a nation in order not to be left behind in any economic sector.
“Let us come together to support public and private efforts on development while we should also unite as a people against any action that will clog the nation’s wheel of development.
“Together, let’s tap into development and positive engagement of our energetic workforce for National growth which will not only provide economic infrastructure but also help to eliminate the scourge of illegal migration.
“It is more worrisome as it has led to untimely deaths and harrowing hardship for majority of those treading on such dangerous path.
“Nigeria has always been at the forefront of African Union’s (AU) resolve to global greatness through development of Africa’s human and other resources,’’ she said.
She urged citizens to give more support to government’s efforts to achieve these goals, saying “our great nation- Nigeria, can be at the forefront of continental greatness”.
According to Akobundu, AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria will continue to partner with relevant stakeholders within and outside the country to promote national development, in line with the agency’s mandate.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, since 1995, United Nations’ International Day of Co-operatives is observed jointly alongside International Co-operative Day.
The goals of the Day include: To increase awareness on cooperatives and to complementarily highlight the goals and objectives of UN and the international cooperative movement.