Tackle unemployment with local manufacturing, Jonathan tells FG

Former president Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, called on the Federal Government to prioritise industrialisation, technical skills development and local manufacturing as strategies to address unemployment and stimulate Nigeria’s economic growth.

Jonathan said the country’s large population, particularly its youthful demographic, presented an opportunity to build a productive economy through investments in factories, technology and technical education.

He spoke at Idu Industrial Area in Abuja during the unveiling of a tricycle production facility established and operated by Zeetin Engineering Factory.

Jonathan asked the government to transform Nigeria into a major production hub rather than rely heavily on imported goods or expecting foreign investment in the country.

“With a population of over 200 million people, and young people above 65 per cent of the population, it is a huge number. So we must convert the country into a factory,” the former president said.

According to him, expanding local production would create jobs, boost economic activity and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to manufacture goods for domestic consumption and export.

The former president argued that the success of manufacturing economies such as China was driven not by cheap labour alone, but also by the availability of skilled workers across different areas of production and technology.

He urged Nigeria to invest in developing similar technical capabilities, noting that the global economy was increasingly driven by technology and human ingenuity.

“The world is driven by technology. It is driven by the brains of human beings. And we must develop our best brains,” Jonathan said.

Jonathan commended Zeetin Engineering and its founder, Robert Azibaola, for investing in local manufacturing, describing the initiative as an example of the technological entrepreneurship the country needs.