TheCable

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) says it will host a national economic dialogue on the state of the Nigerian economy.

In a statement issued on Friday, NESG said the event would hold on May 20 in combined virtual and in-person sessions.

The think-tank advocacy group said the discourse will pay attention to critical challenges that the government needs to address urgently.

These challenges, the group said include weak and non-inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic instability, Infrastructure deficit, human capital deficit and skills gap, national insecurity and weak economic competitiveness.

“As the 2023 general election is fast approaching, it has become pertinent for the nation to have a National Economic Dialogue, which should identify and extensively discuss the key structural bottlenecks and challenges that the country has faced overtime to ensure that the political elites and stakeholders are rightly guided in terms of policy choices and implementation,” the statement reads.

“It is on this premise that the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) aims to hold a National Economic Dialogue discourse to highlight possible solutions to the myriads of socio-economic problems in Nigeria.

The group said the national dialogue is crucial at this critical point in time “because it offers a unique opportunity for us as a nation to come together and have a snapshot reflection on the current state of the economy, discuss the challenges we are facing, the choices that present themselves, the paths that lie ahead of us and the tough decisions that we must take to build a globally competitive economy that works for us all”.

“Furthermore, it presents an opportunity for us to find solutions to the multi-dimensional global economic challenges – the post-COVID-19 Economy, the Russian-Ukraine crisis (among other sources of global instability) – and the national leadership transition while embracing the need to foster national consciousness toward a better economic outlook,” it added.

“As a nation, we are faced with the unique opportunity to learn from and reflect on policy choices that led us to where we are today and be ready to make tough choices to build a better and stronger nation.”

The statement added interested participants can register via www.ifnotnowwhen.ng.