Nigeria is not doing badly at 55 - Obasanjo

Despite the country’s “mistakes and missteps,” former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said Nigeria is not doing badly at 55 as a nation, compared to the so called settled societies or matured countries.

Obasanjo who noted that 55 years in the life of a nation is still relatively young said the country has managed to be dynamic and progressive all these while.

The ex – President who spoke with reporters at his Abeokuta residence , on Thursday, in respect of the Nigeria’s 55 years of nationhood, said all hands to be on deck to enable the country attain its full potentials.

He said Nigerians should be willing to learn from past mistakes while core national values should also not be eroded to enable the real growth and progress become manifest.

He noted that the Nigeria is now well positioned with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for both recognition and active participation in global politics in manner that would likely elicit positive attention from the international community.

According to Obasanjo, feelers from the world leaders and statesmen during the recent UN summit revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari did not only have a good outing there, but also helped to place Nigeria at a strategic position for global politics.

He identified youth unemployment, education, security, justice, the economy among others as areas the country should not joke with particularly corruption, saying it has the capacity to destroy everything noble about Nigeria.

Obsanjo said: “Fifty five years in the life of a nation is comparatively young, growing and when you look at the life and history of those that you may call settled societies or reasonably matured countries, we are not doing too badly.

“They have had missteps just like we are having missteps, they have made mistakes and most of them have learnt from their mistakes, they have been dynamic in the way they have progressed and I believe that we are doing the same thing.

“What is important is that certain cardinal pinches, cardinal features of our national live, values, should not be eroded. And then we should also be willing to learn from our mistakes,” Obasanjo said.