Nigeria Has No Reason to Be Poor, Emir of Doma Tells Nigerians at OurNigeria News Awards
Nigeria Has No Reason to Be Poor, Emir of Doma Tells Nigerians at OurNigeria News Awards
By Matthew Eloyi
The Emir of Doma Kingdom, Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu Oga Onawo, has declared that Nigeria has no justification for poverty, insisting that the country’s challenges stem not from lack of resources or talent, but from failure to effectively deploy its abundant human and material endowments for national development.
The monarch made the assertion on Saturday in Abuja while delivering his address as Royal Father of the Day at the 7th OurNigeria News Awards, organised by OurNigeria News Magazine.
Describing Nigeria as a uniquely blessed nation, the Emir said Nigerians rank among the best minds globally across virtually all fields of human endeavour, including commerce, science and technology, medicine, and leadership.
“Our Nigeria is the only nation that has among the best intellectuals in the world,” he said. “Anywhere you go in the world, if you do not see a Nigerian, please leave that place.”
According to him, the global presence and excellence of Nigerians underscore the country’s immense human capital, which, if properly harnessed, could transform Nigeria into one of the world’s leading nations.
The Emir also highlighted Nigeria’s vast natural resources, noting that the country is richly endowed with strategic minerals critical to global development. He listed oil, gold, lithium, uranium, and other mineral resources found across different regions of the country, describing them as divine gifts.
“Anywhere you go in Nigeria, below 200 meters, there are mineral resources that the whole world needs,” he said. “It means Nigeria has no reason to be poor. It means Nigerians have no reason to be poor.”
However, he lamented that despite these advantages, the country has failed to fully deploy its human excellence and natural wealth toward nation-building, economic growth, and sustainable development.
The traditional ruler challenged Nigerians to reflect on their individual and collective contributions to the country, urging citizens to ask themselves whether they have given Nigeria what it truly deserves.
“If we have no other country than Nigeria, and if we are responsible for the future of generations unborn, then we must ask ourselves what we owe this nation,” he said.
He warned that future generations would judge the present by what it leaves behind, stressing that Nigerians, whether leaders or followers, rich or poor, intellectuals or artisans, all share responsibility for shaping the country’s future.
“The choice is ours,” the Emir said. “We can make Nigeria among the best nations in the world that does not need aid from any foreign country. But if we fail, future generations will hold us accountable.”
Alhaji Onawo called for renewed determination, sacrifice, and patriotism, urging Nigerians to build on the foundation laid by past generations to create a better and more prosperous nation for those yet unborn.
He also commended OurNigeria News Magazine for sustaining what he described as a credible platform that celebrates leadership, innovation, and service to nation-building. Congratulating the award recipients, the Emir urged them to continue contributing positively to national development.
The 7th OurNigeria News Awards brought together government officials, traditional rulers, security chiefs, professionals, scholars, and civil society actors to recognise outstanding leadership and service to Nigeria’s growth and renewal.
