FG is paying lip service to diversification of economy

Hope for economic recovery through diversification using the agricultural sector as key may still remain a mirage, as the Federal Government is yet to put realistic policies and programmes on ground that will convince the real practicing farmers and able bodied youths to take to farming.

There is the clamour for diversification and agriculture is the key, therefore the policy of the government should focus on the agricultural sector. But up till this time, the government is yet to stop paying lip service to agriculture.

They are yet to put policies and programmes to assure Nigerians and youths that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, just as it was before the oil boom, said Charles Okeke, chairman/CEO, Tshabron Group, a conglomerate of communications firms operating in Nigeria, most especially in the South-East and South-South regions.

According to Okeke, “just common sense can tell you that Federal Government is still wobbling in its clamour for diversification of the economy, they need to do a lot in the agricultural sector.”

The price of crude oil has fallen in the international market which has seriously affected the economy and the federal monthly allocations to states, therefore agriculture should be the mainstay of the economy because every body has to eat and the population is growing continuously, so we need to produce more to eat end go into commercial agriculture, Okeke said.

“There are certain things I can tell you some young men are doing, engaging themselves in Keke and motorbike business. I feel terribly bad because the government should be able to make agriculture attractive for young men to go into instead of using Keke and motorbikes, it does not help the economy to grow.

 “Government should do a lot to crate farm settlement and give incentives for the government should create opportunities for people to move into agriculture and from the arable lands we have in the country,” he said

According to Okeke, there are lot of young graduates who are doing nothing; they should be helped to go into farming or any other type of agriculture to help the economy to grow and for possible quick recovery.