The Nigerian Chambers of Commerce has won an accomplice, a Warri-based Economist, Dr Fred Atigbi, to drum support for Nigeria’s refusal to sign the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
Atigbi applauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision during the “first interactive Inaugural Public Lecture on Practitioner Research” in Warri.
The event witnessed the unveiling of “Absrelis Practitioner Research Courses and Website”.
The ‘Free Africa Trade Agreement” is an agreement among the member states of the African Union (AU) to create a single market and free movement and a single-currency union.
Atigbi said the development would help to put the country on the path of positive growth economically.
He said that Nigeria had witnessed under-development overtime because of over-dependence on importation.
The researcher noted that the government had not fully implemented the series of research development in the country to the letters.
“There cannot be meaningful development without research and our government has failed in this direction.
“I wonder why in the 21st century, Nigeria still relies on the use of ballot papers instead of electronic voting.
“It has to do with research and making available results to the public. Everybody can carry out research, it is a means of providing income,” he said.
Also, Dr Ovie Ovedje urged Nigerians to embark on aggressive researches to grow the economy.
Ovedje, an agricultural researcher, said Nigeria should not just be a consuming nation but also produce to raise her foreign exchange.
“So long we refused to produce, the value of our money will not appreciate.
”Most researchers only research to publish, research should not only be academic but its desirability should be applicable to the society,” he said.
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