The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Thursday admitted that the current Boko Haram insurgency was a challenge to the economic growth of the country.

Okonjo-Iweala however, said with the current efforts of the federal government and foreign assistance, the war against terrorists would be tackled so as to assist the nation to develop.

Answering journalists questions in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital yesterday shortly after unveiling the distribution of PC Tablet to 100 students of the University of Ilorin and the official commencement of the oil-palm plantation for the institution, Okonjo-Iweala said: "This is a global problem and we must come together as a country and as a globe to tackle this problem."

According to her, "We have to admit that insecurity is a problem and challenge which we must grapple with and deal with but remember that majority of the country is functioning but let not lose sight of that."

"That gives us the opportunity of us who are not directly affected to think of our brothers and sisters in areas where there are security challenges to pray with them, to support the government and our military personnel who are putting their lives on the line for safe actions to end the menace.

"The other thing is to remember that we are hopeful, we are not alone. The whole world has come to support us. You listen to President Barrack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron, they said this is not a problem for Nigeria alone. This is a global problem and we must come together as a country and as a globe to tackle this problem."

The minister added: "So many people have come to help us. With that, we are very hopeful God's willing, we will be able to cope with it and the economy will move on.

"Now that we are the largest economy in Africa, there are many people coming and we must develop the economy for the young people of this country. We cannot relent, that's why we cannot let terror win. We must develop the economy for their benefits so that they can have jobs and they can be well fulfilled human beings in Nigeria."

Okonjo-Iweala described the initiatives of the management of the University of Ilorin as a model towards contributing to the economic growth of the nation.

She added that the federal government was trying to get it right in the area of robust economic growth and sustenance of its leadership status in the African continent, "University of Ilorin is also setting the pace for other tertiary institutions to emulate."

The minister urged the students to efficiently use the ICT facility provided by the university to further enhance quality learning and improve their relationship with the global world.

She said: "Please let me appeal that the PC tablets be used to further boost and aid your learning skills and never for things that are not good or illegal. There is no doubt that the oil palm plantation will in no small ways contribute immensely to the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of the university and the nation at large."