“With 10 per cent of Nigeria’s total landmass, 80 per cent of which is arable, Niger State symbolises the hope and greatness of Nigeria and has the potential to feed the continent – Africa.”
These were the words of the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, while speaking at the Niger State Investment Summit tagged “Truly Niger” with the theme, “Impact Investing for Advancing Agricultural Economy and Innovation” in Minna, yesterday.
Osinbajo said with three major dams and a couple of small ones, the state is better positioned to drive the diversification of Nigeria’s revenue sources through agriculture.
He, however, restated that agriculture was a sure way of diversifying Nigeria’s economy and ensuring food security as well as improving her foreign exchange earnings.
“The fundamental for the sustainable growth of Nigeria is not in the hydro-carbon industry but in agriculture.” He added that Niger State would provide the necessary springboard to realising this dream.
Moreover, he stated that the summit was an appropriate platform for showcasing these huge resources to the world so that investors could take advantage of the many opportunities that abound, as other measures that would attract investments to the state include power, rural road networks and markets.
“The proximity of Niger to Abuja is an opportunity to make it an industrial hub, while also tapping into renewable energy to complement the existing hydro power as power sources,” he said.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government is ready to partner with state governments willing to rehabilitate federal infrastructure in their areas.
No comments:
Post a Comment