ASABA/Nigeria: In the face of dwindling crude Oil Patronage around the world, Delta State Governor, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has called for the diversification of the national economy through the development of the non- oil sector using the oil revenue.
Speaking at a dinner he hosted for the Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative Team Visiting the state, Governor Okowa said that the fall in oil price was a wake-up call to the leaders to spend the dwindling oil revenue on the diversification of the national economy so as to provide employment for the youths of the country.
“ I wish to appreciate the Minister For Niger Delta and leader of the team for bringing the team to Delta State, diversification of our economy is the biggest challenges facing our nation. For a long time we prided ourselves on our oil economy, we need to diversify as the oil economy was not inclusive, it did not provide the much needed employment for all. The recession and fall in oil price in the last three years is a wake up call that we need to sit back and look into ways to spend the oil money to diversify the economy, we need to look at way to provide employment opportunity for our youths. We are presently on the right path to fix our economy through diversification especially in agrobusiness”, he said.
He charged Nigerians especially the people of the Niger Delta region to maintain the peace and security so as to attract investors, stressing that “ we need to truly tackle the issue of security so as to create employment for the youths and maintain the existing peace”.
He called for attitudinal change among the youths especially in the Niger Delta region stressing that the youths should embrace agriculture and entrepreneurial skills in order to fit into the new economy stating “we need to encourage our youths and provide them with the right skills in the agricultural sector, we need to find new ways to create employment for our people and try to tool our children with the right skills and mind set” adding “ we need to make our children see the agribusiness as the new oil sector”.
Senator Okowa commended the Federal Government and its agencies for their partnership with the states in the diversification of the economy, calling on investors to take advantage of the peaceful environment to invest in the economy.
Earlier, the Pastor Sanni Ugwuru Sanni, Minister For the Niger Delta and Leader of the team informed Governor Okowa that they were in the state to look at the various investment potentials in the state and commended the state government for its commitment to the diversification programme stressing that the state is conducive for investors.
