Please, let the diversification efforts continue

Since the beginning of the current administration, there have been so much talk on the need to diversify the Nigerian economy which is totally dependent on crude oil. The need to diversify became more heightened when the country went into recession last year.  And the government tried to back the talk with some actions geared […]

Since the beginning of the current administration, there have been so much talk on the need to diversify the Nigerian economy which is totally dependent on crude oil. The need to diversify became more heightened when the country went into recession last year. 

And the government tried to back the talk with some actions geared towards diversifying the economy. Such actions included ban on certain items, campaigns for made in Nigeria goods and boosting agriculture. The efforts in boosting agriculture is yielding results, especially in Kebbi, Kano, Lagos and Ebonyi states, where farmers produced rice in very large quantities. That effort by the government is highly commendable but it must be urged to sustain the tempo.

Now, that the Naira is gaining strength, there may the temptation for us to relax as a nation, but that will not be good for the country. With the price of crude fluctuating, it will in fact be suicidal for any country to totally depend on it.

The efforts to diversify the economy should be intensified and not just in rice production but also in other crops.  Already NIMET has predicted that the rainy season for this year will be short. I urge relevant authourities to take advantage of the prediction to ensure that necessary farm inputs are provided so that activities will start in good time.  The government should also consider reopening some manufacturing companies that  were shut down so that the nation can produce goods that it can export, thereby earning some foreign exchange.  

State governments should not relax, they should continue to look inward for what they can produce to improve the economy.  There is a need for all hands to be on deck to pull the country out of recession.

Victor Tamuno wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers  State.