FG ‘ll continue to encourage entrepreneurs – Osinbajo

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the Federal Government would create more jobs and continue to provide enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive.

Osinbajo stated this in a keynote address he delivered on Tuesday at a programme titled ‘The Platform 2018’ organised by the Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos.

According to the vice president, “our business as government is to create more enabling environment for entrepreneurs to do business and create more infrastructure.

“We have to provide more jobs as more people are added to the population everyday.

“Today we are confronted with the remnants of Boko Haram with farmers/herdsmen clashes and ethno-religious conflicts,’’ he said.

Osinbajo recalled that when oil was selling for 100 to 142 dollars per barrel, the budget of Transport and Agriculture Ministries; all the ministries together got 139 billion.

“Today with oil prices between 60 and 70 dollars per barrel, the Power, Works and Housing, Agriculture and Transport Ministries got N560 billion.

“How come we can do more with less income?

“How come we are able to invest in infrastructure. How come we can do the Lagos-Kano standard rail gauge; the Second Nger Bridge, with 60 per cent less income than we earned a few years ago,” he asked.

According to the vice president, the truth is that if we can control corruption, we can do more with far less income than we earned many years ago.

“The job of the builder is not to complain. I believe the solution is in building that Nigerian bridge.

“A bridge that will be built on the strongest materials of all and to excel in our commitment to build a new society.

“A bridge that connects us across tribes; across ethnicity; across dialects; a bridge that connects us across religion; across politics; and across even generations.

“Everyone of us can travel on this bridge. A bridge that rises from innovation and traditions and stands the troubled waters of our past.

“A bridge that can take the traffic of all our best Nigerians and creativity; and human and materials to the destination of our dream.”

The vice president commended many Nigerians in both public and private sectors, who had contributed toward nation-building and contributed immensely to the growth of the economy.

He listed many Nigerian entrepreneurs, farmers, entertainers/comedians, teachers, writers, poets who have excelled, saying that they were determined and prepared to do their jobs.

Osinbajo said that the task of nation-building should be the responsibility of all, noting that many young people were doing creative things in both government and private sectors.