NIGERIA@50: EXPERT SEEKS FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT

After 50 years of independence and given the enormous endowment of Nigeria, it has become imperative for the Federal Government to provide a guided framework to put the nation on the path of sustainable development, a Nigerian expert in the United States, Mr. Fidelis Umeh, has said.

Umeh, who delivered a 50th Independence Anniversary Lecture on, 'ICT Age: Its Implications for Nigeria and Africa,' in Abuja on Tuesday, said the enormous energy of Nigerians must be tapped in order to transform the country to a developed nation.

At the lecture, chaired by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Umeh said there was no alternative to stable electricity and charged private sector operators to work towards a double-digit growth in the nation's information technology industry.

He said, 'Nigeria is quite rich in intellectual capital. All we need is to provide a guided framework and the outcome will be predictable.

'Nigerians are driven to succeed. Whether you meet them in Abuja, Lagos, Aba, Onitsha, Chicago, New York City or in Tokyo; they are pushing the envelope.

'All we need is to harness this unbridled energy and entrepreneurial spirit and we shall have a country like no other.'