Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) has been tasked with the responsibility of nation building capacity.

Professor Francis Fajemirokun, former deputy vice chancellor, University of Lagos said the Nigerian professionals must take the lead in providing solutions to the nation’s problems, adding that the association must provide the needed disciplined leadership which would eschew corruption, tribalism and nepotism.

Fajemirokun said Nigerian professionals should positively impact on the socio-economic development of the country.
He stated that the areas included critical infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation and eradication, improvement in health facilities, human capital development, wealth creation and provision of good and purposeful leadership.

Fajemirokun said the Nigerian professionals should be in a position to be relied upon to provide workable answers to the lingering problems.
According to him, Nigerian professionals are well positioned to affect the situation of this country positively because they have the training and knowledge.

He noted that the professionalism called for fairness, truthfulness and good judgment and expected to be highly disciplined, of high integrity and subscribing to the code of ethics of their profession.

The former deputy vice chancellor explained that the association could get more directly involved in finding solution to the corruption problem if her members take a definite decision that they would no longer be part of corrupt practices in this country, no matter how significant or insignificant the practice was.

He said their ethical codes as drawn up discourage corruption which is a major problem facing the country.

“If all Nigerian professionals would steer clear of corruption, tribalism and nepotism, a giant step would have been made in solving the nation’s problems,” he said.

Fajemirokun said there are many areas in which the Nigerian professionals can demonstrate expertise required to move this country on to the next levels, adding that the most glaring area is the challenge the country has with her infrastructural development.

He said it is the responsibility of professionals to ensure that one of the aims for the establishment of APBN is properly and successfully addressed which is to give proper, sound professional and technical advice to government.
The former deputy vice chancellor stated that the Nigerian professionals have an overriding responsibility to maintain standards of the profession which is also the benefit of the public.

He said a culture of governance which takes seriously the need to develop and utilise its professionals at all levels of its development is consequently improving loyalty and national security by reducing dependency in all fronts of its endeavour.

Fajemirokun said the nigerian professionals have the responsibility to develop and improve the seven-point agenda in order for the nation to be in a position to realise the 20:2020 vision.

The Financial Standard Newspaper, Monday September 7, 2009.