Jonathan made these comments over the weekend during the inauguration of the Soybean Plant and Refinery of the CSS Group in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, which also coincided with the birthday celebration of Prof. John Kennedy Opara, former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC).
The event saw the presence of notable figures, including former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma, Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri, former Cross River State Governor Prof. Ben Ayade, former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen, and Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, who was represented by his deputy.
In his address, Jonathan discouraged the growing trend of emigration, often referred to as “Japa,” urging Nigerians to focus on building and improving their own country rather than seeking opportunities abroad.
“You don’t need to Japa. The countries you are fleeing to were built by people. We must come together to build our country, invest in it, and create job opportunities for our youth. We cannot abandon our responsibilities. This country belongs to all of us,” he emphasized.
Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri reinforced Jonathan’s message, encouraging Nigerians to remain optimistic about the nation’s future.
“There is hope in Nigeria. So, for those thinking of Japa, don’t Japa. Nigeria is a blessed country. If we all support what the private sector is doing, no one will need to Japa,” Diri stated.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), also addressed the gathering, highlighting the severe impact of food price inflation on Nigerians. He called for urgent actions to mitigate the situation.
“The level of hunger in Nigeria is alarming due to extremely high food price inflation. We need to accelerate efforts to boost food production, reduce food commodity prices, eliminate food import dependence, and support local farmers to feed the nation,” Adesina stated.
Adesina recalled the achievements during Jonathan’s tenure, noting that Nigerian farmers had successfully provided for the country’s food needs at one point. “When I was Minister of Agriculture under President Jonathan, Nigerian farmers were able to feed the country. Back then, the price of rice was N8,000 per bag; today, it has skyrocketed to over N100,000 per bag,” he said.
He further revealed that the AfDB and its partners are supporting the Nigerian government with a $538 million program to establish special agro-industrial processing zones in eight states, including Cross Rivers, Imo, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The second phase of this initiative, aimed at expanding to all 28 remaining states, is set to secure $1 billion in funding from the AfDB, the Arab Bank for African Economic Development, and private sector partners.
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