Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) Weekly Subject Experts’ Presentation was held at Hall F, ML Agwai Block, Abuja. There were two presentations made by the Subject Experts on Republic of China and South Africa.
The first presentation by Maj Gen JA Orokpo (Rtd) subject experts on China discussed on how China set 2025, 2027 goals for development of future industries. ‘’The China Global Television Network published on their website on 30 Jan 24, that the Chinese Government has set 2025, 2027 goals for development of future industries’’. Future industries refer to as new industries integrated with advanced technology, such as metaverse, brain-computer interface and quantum information.
In his analysis and lessons for Nigeria, Maj Gen JA Orokpo (Rtd) noted that, Nigeria’s transition to a productive economy is crucial for her long term economic growth and stability. The country’s current status as a consumption driven economy with limited domestic production for both local consumption and export call for concern. He also stretched that Nigeria can learn from China’s plan to set 2025, 2027 goals for the development of future industries by establishing clear objectives and timeliness for its own energy transition plan.
He recommended that Federal Government of Nigeria should leverage digital technologies to diversify the economy and create job opportunities and also establish clear guidelines and timelines for energy transition of our local industries and also support the growth of industries with incentives in order to improve overall productivity. FGN should also facilitate new technological start-ups in key fields of manufacturing.
Relatedly, the second presentation by Col OR Akerele (Rtd) subject expert on South Africa, focused on Fear of Abductions and kidnapping in South Africa. He stated that ‘’On 3 Feb 24, the SA Police reported that in Johannesburg, abductions and kidnappings have become the worst fear for many families and that any loved one kidnapped may never return due to various reasons’’. Statistics shows in the 2022/2023 fiscal year as over 15,000 cases of abductions and kidnappings were reported.
In his analysis and Lessons for Nigeria, Col Akerele (Rtd) noted that Kidnapping is a menace in every society, however, statistics show over #215bn was paid as ransom between 2006 -2022. This large amount spent as ransom could affect Nigerians economy drastically as it could have been used for other meaningful economic development. This also leads to loss of revenue and human resources when professionals and expatriates working for multinational companies are kidnapped.
He recommended that, The FGN should create more job creation, programmes clusters of entrepreneurial and small and medium scale enterprises to reduce unemployment and poverty and also recruit more personnel for security agencies and provide more sophisticated weapons and other logistics items to combat Kidnapping.
