$250bn green economy remains untapped – Providus Bank CEO

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Providus Bank, Walter Apani, has disclosed that Nigeria’s green economy has over $250billion investment opportunities that can be tapped into.

Akpani stated this while delivering his keynote address at the Youth Governance Dialogue session of the Presidential Youth Retreat organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He told the youth to tap into the enormous potential and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy and environmental sustainability.

He said, “As someone who is determined to succeed in life, you must be clear of what failure means. You must always have the mind of doing things not to fail because this will always propel you to excellence and if you eventually fail, it is not a death sentence; you must learn from your mistakes and move on. Those who want to achieve success in the journey of life don’t take failure as final. If you fall, rise again and again until you are at your destination.

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“Another tip you must keep to heart is that you must be highly disciplined, you must allow discipline to be part of your entire life. Nothing good and great comes so cheaply; it requires great sacrifices here and there, so you must embrace discipline to achieve those lofty dreams.”

Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Contributing to Green Economy”, Akpani said in addressing the challenges of climate change brought about by industrialisation and various activities of men, the youths can latch on billions of naira investment opportunities in efforts to decisively fight off the evil of climate change.

He said, “When we talk about the green economy, we are talking about an economy that is aimed at reducing environmental risk, the one that fights environmental degradation but promotes sustainable development and a friendly environment. 

“Green economy promotes empowerment through small-scale enterprises and it is a worthwhile investment to protect our environment and biodiversity. It is an economy that is estimated to be worth $250bn in Nigeria with critical sectors including transportation, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, among others.”