GoodLuck E. Jonathan: As President I worked for the Next Generation, not Next Election

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan spoke extensively Yesterday to students of Oxford University on youth entrepreneurship. He said that while serving as President of Nigeria, that he worked for the next generation and not for the next elections. And exerted that the country experienced a growth that proved the truism that a nation’s wealth is not underneath the ground but between the ears of her people.

He made the following assertion; 

"Nigeria was rated as the largest economy in Africa and the 23rd in the world by the World Bank and the IMF, with a GDP above US$570 billion"

"Under my watch, Nigeria was projected by CNN Money to be the third fastest growing economy in the world for the year 2015"

"We may not have been perfect, but we did our best, and our best yielded an era of unprecedented economic growth for Nigeria"

"Despite incredible challenges, Nigerian youths are achieving great things and placing Nigeria positively in the world map. They inspire us"

"I urge contemporary African leaders to see youth entrepreneurship as a collective project transcending national boundaries"

"We identified Nollywood as a sector that can employ many young people and provided a grant of $200 million to boost the industry"

"We increased the allowances due to Youth Corp members by more than 100% in 2011"

"As a leader, you can decide through your policies to educate the youths, or face the consequences of failing to do so."

"Any Nation that does not spend its wealth and resources to develop the capacity of its youth will be forced to use them to fight insecurity"

"After much soul searching, I concluded that: wealth is a creation of the human mind properly prepared by education."

"We reformed the institutions and introduced various mechanisms to stop the corruption problems in our country without publicity"

"As a leader you need resources to develop your nation and sometimes you have to navigate through the competing interests of western powers"