Diplomat urges Nigerians to pursue excellence for national growth
By Adewale Owoade
A former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, has urged Nigerians to strive for excellence in order to build a better Nigeria.
Farounbi said this while speaking as chairman during the 2024 Pacesetters Lecture & Awards Ceremony, organised by Pacesetters Online & Magazine, at the NUJ Press Centre, Ibadan.
He further said that by pursuing excellence, Nigerians can work together to create positive change and foster a brighter future for themselves and generations to come.
The event was themed: “Fostering sustainable development through collaboration and partnership; the role of private sector in driving sustainable development in Oyo”.
“What Nigeria is today are the consequences of the choices we all made, it is not a consequence of the choice the leadership made, we are all responsible, liable for the success and the failure of the Nigeria.
“Because as individual Nigerian, do we purse excellence? Wherever we find ourselves; in our homes, in our jobs, in our private capacity, do we pursue excellence?
“If some of us don’t pursue excellence then we will make the job difficult for our leadership.
“If we pursue excellence then we will get national growth, national development, national achievement and national recognition.
“It is only the pursuit of excellence that can make a country,” Farounbi stated.
The keynote speaker, Dr Babatunde Lawal, who spoke on the theme of the event, said we should stop blaming the government for the challenges facing us as a nation.
Lawal, who is also the Chairman of Brail Construction emphasised the importance of collaboration to national development.
“It is easy to blame the government at all levels globally for these challenges, but the truth be told, we are all contributors to this and the blame must go round on all of us.
“The concept of partnership involves all of us, everyone in this room, whether you are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Itsekiri, or you are in APC, PDP, Labour Party and other parties, whether you are a civil servant, religious leaders, traditional leaders, even the young ones.
“We are supposed to be partners in progress as we build the world where developments are sustainable and no one will be left behind.
“Let me inform you that we are all stakeholders in this journey,” Lawal said.
Some members of House of representative, Local government chairmen and outstanding members of the public were honoured with awards of excellence.
Speaking as a keynote speaker and also as one of the awardees, Rep. Remi Oseni, (Ido/Ibarapa East Federal Constituency), said that revitalisation of Nigerian roads must be a collective efforts.
“As the 10th National Assembly we can do a little, but together we can do so much; collaboration is the key to achieving our goals for Nigerian roads maintenance.
“It’s only through unity and collective efforts that we can truly bring about the revitalisation of Nigerian roads that work for the benefit of all Nigerians,” Oseni said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the magazine, Ademola Babalola, said all the awardees are worthy ambassadors of our nation.(NAN)
