Buhari promises to make the label ''Made in Nigeria'' common globally as the label ''Made in China''

Muhammadu Buhari is addressing young professionals at the Meet and Greet session during his recent four-day official visit to the United States in Washington DC. July 21

The 72-year-old Nigerian president spoke with journalists in Washington DC on how he intends to run his government in the next four years.

Here's what he had to share with journalists:

Nigeria is blessed with a rich array of natural resources, not just oil and gas, but abundant solid minerals and huge tracts of arable land.

Forty years ago, Nigeria was a net exporter of food; today we are an importer. We should not only be self-sufficient, we should be the bread basket for Africa.

We have only become over-dependent on oil because of the incompetence and corruption of government that concentrated on how best to steal oil revenues instead of how best to use our oil windfalls to invest in a modern, growing economy.

However, we cannot be content to just export raw materials and commodities abroad: we must become a manufacturing giant. I will not be satisfied until the label “Made in Nigeria” is as common globally, as the label “Made in China.”

On Nigerian Currency (Naira):

Nigeria has to win the confidence of the markets; we will only do that by demonstrating our commitment to probity and prudent public spending.


On reforming the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC:

Corruption is one of the top three issues facing Nigeria, along with insecurity and unemployment. We must act to kill corruption or corruption will kill Nigeria. I am determined to lead that fight.

I will introduce a new system of plea bargains, that will allow those who have stolen assets and funds to return them – but if they do not take that opportunity, we will pursue them through the courts.

I am reforming the oil and gas sector, breaking up the NNPC (the state oil company) into two parts – the first will become an independent regulator for the sector, while the second will act as an investment vehicle for the country.

I will also end political control of the awarding of drilling and exploration rights by introducing a system of independent, transparent auctioning for licences.

On corruption - past government:

We will vigorously pursue any and all anti-corruption cases and investigations that are currently ongoing, but the government has to be realistic; we are not going to mount a new wave of prosecutions over historic cases.

So, yes it is inevitable we will indeed draw a line under some historic abuses, but there will be zero tolerance for corruption going forward.

On corruption - his party members (APC):

You cannot cure a sick patient by only treating one half of them. There will be no political interference in the fight against corruption – and no political favours to protect the corrupt from justice.

Read full interview here