Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged the Nigerian government to prioritise the effective implementation of policies, particularly in the space technology sector, to foster national development.
Speaking at the 8th Brigadier General (rtd) Ogbonna Agu annual lecture and awards ceremony, organised by the Nigerian Institution of Space Engineers (NISE) in Abuja, Obasanjo highlighted the need to translate policies into tangible actions. The lecture, themed “Nigeria’s 21 Years in Space: Achievements, Challenges, and Prospects”, provided a platform for the former president to address the gaps in Nigeria’s approach to space technology development.
Obasanjo noted that while Nigeria has formulated numerous policies, many remain unimplemented, particularly in the field of space technology. He stressed that the country must move beyond creating policies and statements, focusing instead on executing them to unlock Nigeria’s potential in this sector.
“It is not enough to have a policy. It is not enough to even have a good statement like the one my sister has made. We are not short of policies in this country. If you go to the archives, our archives are full of policies. But there are many dead policies, unimplemented policies, and unexecuted policies,” Obasanjo stated.
He added, “And therefore, we are where we should not have been. Those who have made progress have not done so based on wishes but on active efforts to make progress.”
He further emphasised the need for the government to ensure the full implementation of policies in critical areas of national life and to leverage Nigeria’s home-grown human resources for global competitiveness.