Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has claimed that his administration was one of the best the country has seen, particularly in putting the economy on a strong footing before leaving office in 2007.
Speaking in Abeokuta yesterday at a youth empowerment event organized by NerdzFactory Company and supported by Meta, Obasanjo reflected on the landmark achievements of his 1999-2007 presidency.
He stated that he was responsible for freeing Nigeria from the burden of massive debt, taking pride in the 25 years of uninterrupted democracy that began during his tenure.
“When I came in as elected President, I wanted to get debt relief because we were spending $3.5 billion every year servicing debt and the quantum of the debt was not going down,” Obasanjo said. “By the time I left, we had a debt of about $36 billion with the debt relief, and I left with a debt of $3.6 billion. Also, I left a reserve of over $50 billion. I also achieved excess crude for the country worth over $25 billion.”
Obasanjo, who defined success as leaving a place better than one found it, said he accomplished that during his administration with an excellent track record.
He advised the participating youth corps members from Lagos and Ogun states to dedicate themselves to championing national development, stressing that it is a collective responsibility underpinned by education.
The former president also urged the youths to be dynamic, idealistic, and inquisitive, not taking anything for granted.
In his remarks, the founding partner of NerdzFactory Company, Ademulegun Olowojoba, explained that the boot camp was organized to empower young people with skills to combat the growing threats and risks associated with the digital space, where individuals are vulnerable to various cyberattacks.
