Legal luminary and elder statesman, Afe Babalola, has described as discouraging and embarrassing, the continued refusal by the federal government to issue a free trade certificate to the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), saying this could inhibit industrialisation in Nigeria.
Babalola raised the concern yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, while hosting delegates from the China-Nigeria consortium on industry and education at the ABUAD-China partnership forum meeting.
He said the over 132 – Units of ABUAD industrial park, located in Ado-Ekiti, was enough to turn the story of Nigeria around, if well annexed, and utilised.
He wondered why China, which was a very poor country some years ago, could suddenly overtake Nigeria in the scheme of economic matters
According to Babalola, the certificate would have enabled foreign companies to establish businesses in the park, thereby boosting Nigeria’s economy.
The legal icon stressed that a free trade zone would facilitate international trade and industrial activities, ultimately contributing to the country’s economic growth.
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He lamented that such progressive ideas would have been embraced under the defunct regional government system, while also reiterating his call for a people-oriented constitution, to foster national development.
“In 1999, I traveled to China. At that time, China was a very poor country, but the Chinese people were very wise. They created an area, called free trade zone, which allowed countries like the United States and Germany to set up industries there.
“ Unknowingly to those countries , the Chinese, learned from these foreign industries, which eventually contributed to their remarkable global development today.
“However, for the past two years, I have applied for the same concept here, but the government has refused to grant us a free trade zone certificate,” he said.
“ There is an American company ready to begin manufacturing cars in my industrial park, but the lack of this certificate has stalled their plans.
“If we still had the regional government system that we used to have, we would be more developed than we are today. This is why we need a new constitution,” he added.
In her address, the Secretary-General of the China-Nigeria Consortium, on Industry and Education, Ms. Wendy Wang, commended Babalola for his visionary achievements in education, engineering, and health.
She described ABUAD as the best institution in Nigeria, highlighting its integration of cutting-edge technologies in its curriculum.
Earlier in her address of welcome, the Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde commended Babalola, for allowing the partnership between the university and ABUAD to thrive.
She described the visit , as a replica of the one, earlier made by her and a select ABUAD team, that Babalola sponsored to China in a working tour recently.
She disclosed that with the partnership, ABUAD would soon start manufacturing vehicles and robots.
The high point of the event was when Babalola was presented a ‘Chinese Plus Digital Intelligence Education Gold Medal’ in recognition of his commitment to quality and functional education in Nigeria.
Adeleke Damilola (ACTION) is a versatile content writer with expertise in news writing and a seasoned media professional and broadcast specialist. Currently serving as News Editor for DNews Info, Damilola is also the CEO of the ACTION brand, committed to shaping lives and establishing a legacy of excellence for present and future generations.
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