The Emir of Zuru in Kebbi, Sani Sami, has called on governors in the Northern states to accord priority to the agriculture and solid mineral sectors.
The monarch made the call at a reception in his palace in honour of the newly appointed director-general of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Benjamin Dikki, in Zuru on Sunday.
“The North of this country is endowed with solid mineral resources in commercial quantities but their exploitation have not been fully explored.
“I urge our present leaders to reverse this trend because the commercialisation of our solid mineral and agriculture resources will end poverty, unemployment and crime.”
He said the neglect of the agriculture sector for crude oil exploration was the major factor that resulted in high poverty and unemployment in the country.
On the insecurity in the North, the emir urged “security agencies to curtail the situation to revamp our ailing economy”.
