Boko Haram: Nigeria can learn from Rwanda genocide–Envoy
The Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Stanislas Kamanzi, has asked the Nigerian government to draw lessons on how his country tackled genocide, in the fight against insurgency.
Mr. Kamanzi made the call, Monday, while delivering a lecture at the American University of Nigeria, AUN, Yola, Adamawa State.
Speaking at the university’s Diplomatic Lecture Series, the envoy said only purposeful and committed leadership would help Nigeria overcome its security and development challenges.
Mr. Kamanzi, who took the audience through the complexity of the 1994 genocide which claimed over a million lives, noted that Rwanda has pulled out of the crises and was making tremendous progress.
“Nigeria can overcome her problems if the government adopts some measures taken by our government in Rwanda,” said the envoy.
“Purposeful leadership, dignity, tolerance, resilience, and self belief were some of the things we did that made us overcome the catastrophe and move on.
“Twenty-two years down the line, Rwanda is today, one of the safest countries to live in Africa.”
According to him, his country has moved its citizens from the poverty line to an appreciable level of wealth, adding that his government achieved the feat by making the people belief and accept that things can change for the better.
Despite the massive destruction and killings during the genocide, he said the Rwandan Government found a way to bring the people together to work for the good of the country.
Mr. Stanislas added that Nigeria can learn from how Rwanda stopped the genocide and build a solid country.
“With the collective commitment and determination of the leaders and people of Nigeria, insurgency will be tackled,” the envoy said.
“Unemployment was one area we addressed in Rwanda and I believe that if unemployment is addressed in Nigeria and other Africa countries, 90 percent of the continent’s problems would have been solved.”
The envoy defended President Paul Kakagme’s third term ambition, saying the people of Rwanda want the president to continue because of the extraordinary way he had repositioned the country.
He, however, called on the Nigerian government to give priority to the education of its citizenry, saying, “Education remains the best way to move the country forward as a well informed person is well equip to face challenges.”
Mr. Stanislas also advised the government of Nigeria to develop the agricultural sector so as to attend food security and generate the needed foreign exchange for the country.
