- Dr. Awa Ibraheem urged Nigerians to support the ongoing economic reforms initiated by the current administration, emphasizing their importance for a more prosperous future
- Ibraheem stressed the need for corporate organizations and affluent individuals to support the government’s efforts, particularly in funding the education sector
Dr. Awa Ibraheem, CEO of ICMA Professional Services, has urged Nigerians to support the ongoing economic reforms initiated by the current administration, emphasizing that these measures are laying the groundwork for a more prosperous future. Speaking recently in Saudi Arabia, where he performed the 2024 Hajj at the invitation of King Salman Bin Abdul-aziz Al-Saud, Ibraheem highlighted the importance of patience and prayer during this transitional period.
He noted that removing the fuel subsidy and floating the naira are necessary steps to reset the economy, which, although initially challenging, will eventually lead to significant benefits. “Remember that we have been on this economic issue for a long time; some people have been there for the past two or three decades; we just got another set of government which has started resetting it. They started by removing the subsidy and floating the naira. When you want to do these types of things, it first comes with hardship, it’s not unexpected,” Ibraheem said.
Ibraheem, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of Fountain University in Osogbo, Osun State, stressed the need for both corporate organizations and affluent individuals to support the government’s efforts. He emphasized that the education sector, in particular, requires substantial funding, which should not be the government’s responsibility alone.
“We cannot leave everything to the government, there is a limit to what the government can do, so if the government is doing their bit, the individuals should do the same as everyone has a role to play. I believe the government should increase the budgetary allocation to education. In my opinion, they should also monitor how the stakeholders in education are actually utilizing those budgetary allocations and other stakeholders should also try to assist as much as possible,” he explained.
Regarding his philanthropic activities, Ibraheem shared that his motivation is driven by his belief in heavenly rewards. “My motivation is heaven, I know that whatever we do here, we are going to leave them here, and whatever good that you do here, you get your reward in heaven. If you believe in the world hereafter and if you believe that whatever you gather in this world, you are not taking them to heaven, the only thing you carry is your good deeds, then you should be motivated to do more and more,” he stated.
He also commended King Salman Bin Abdul-aziz Al-Saud for the invitation and praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s organization and orderliness, suggesting that the Nigerian government could learn from these practices to better manage its resources. “In Nigeria, for example, we are over 200 million people that the government needs to cater for, over here they are very, very few. I must, however, give it to them that they are well organized and the people are very orderly. I will advise the government of Nigeria to be more organized within our limited resources,” Ibraheem concluded.