Dairu Ishaku, governor of Taraba state, says Nigeria is yet to be taken to an enviable position.
Commenting on the 59th independence of the nation, the governor said despite this age, Nigeria is yet to mature.
He said this on Monday while fielding questions from journalists in Jalingo, the state capital.
“We’ve failed to take Nigeria to enviable position. Yes, we are 59-years-old, but I don’t think we are 59 years mature — it is sweet and ugly,” he said.
“It is sweet because we have independence, but ugly because we have not been able to utilise the 59 years to take the country to an enviable position.
“It’s a shame that Nigeria as a giant of Africa is still lagging behind. I was in Rwanda and I was amazed at their development in the healthcare sector alone.
“Here we are being called the giant of Africa, but we are just a sitting giant. A lot still needs to be done. We need to transform our thinking, work hard in education, health and power, among others.
“If we can improve on power alone, the multiplier effects will be tremendous.”
The governor added that for his state, he will focus more on education, agriculture and healthcare.