Buhari said the country will welcome inputs and investments from compatriots with international exposure for the economy to thrive.
President Muhammadu Buhari has applauded Nigerian youths for their excellence at home and abroad.
Buhari said the country will welcome inputs and investments from compatriots with international exposure for the economy to thrive.
Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman, reported that the President stated this at a town hall meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora on the sidelines of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM, in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday.
Buhari was quoted as saying, “It gives me great pleasure to be in Kigali, Rwanda and to meet with you, members of the Nigerian Diaspora as part of my regular meetings with Nigerians wherever I visit other countries.
“Let me begin by congratulating and commending Yewande Adebowale for emerging as one of the top four winners at the Commonwealth Youth competition at the Kigali Startup Festival 2022 at the Commonwealth Youth Forum.
“I also commend Esther Olanrewaju and Favour Aderinto who are recipients of the Lakshmi Subramanian CMU-Africa Student Excellence Awards for Masters in Information Technology and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
‘‘I am proud of you all, and I remain ever proud of our Nigerian youths excelling at home and abroad.”
Describing Nigerians in Rwanda as ambassadors of their country and stressing the need for them to be of good behaviour, Buhari said, “People would read and know Nigeria by your actions and activities.”
‘‘Our government is determined to work with Nigerians both at home and abroad to develop our economy and create a nation that is productive, peaceful, and caters for the needs of its citizens.
‘‘We are also working assiduously to protect all Nigerians, whether at home or abroad, to feel safe and attain their full potentials in life,’’ The President added.
President Buhari once described the young population of Nigeria as lazy and uneducated during his speech at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on April 17, 2018.
But many Nigerians on social media, particularly on Twitter, rejected the tag, saying they were not lazy or uneducated, but the inefficiencies of the government had incapacitated them.
A Twitter user with the handle, @Cardinal4400 had said; “To think his son was treated abroad with "lazy" taxpayer's money after crashing his bike bought with "lazy" taxpayer's money. This thing dey pain me.”
Another user, @ani_nomso had castigated Buhari’s administration for failing to fulfil its promises to the youth but still had the audacity to insult them on an international platform.
“Buhari promised to pay, provide jobs after seeing how NG Youths suffer. Came into power & thousands of Youths have lost their Jobs. He now goes to the UK to say we are Lazy despite owing us N120K,” he had tweeted.