NAN-AE-10
Agriculture
By Chidinma Agu
Lagos, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba of the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, in Ebonyi, has urged the Federal Government to ensure the sustenance of the diversification of export earnings through agriculture.
Nwajiuba, Vice-Chancellor of the University, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that policy somersault and government’s inability to sustain good policies were among the country’s greatest problems.
“It is an irony that a nation richly-blessed with arable land still imports finished agricultural products.
“We produce and sell only raw agricultural materials at cheap rates and import the finished products at exorbitant rates.
“Just as we produce and sell crude oil at giveaway prices and import refined products at cutthroat prices. This is unacceptable.
“The diversification policy should be matched with production-orientation rather than import-dependence, by investing in the critical sectors of the economy like power and transportation, especially road and rail transportation,’’ he said.
Nwajiuba said that was the only way to get the nation back on track, using agriculture.
He said there was need for all tiers of government to continue investment in agriculture, and to re-orient Nigerian youths to see and take agriculture as alternative to the diminishing white-collar jobs.
According to him, these are the ways to go– to re-jig the nation’s ailing economy and jump-start massive development in terms of employment, food security and foreign exchange earnings.
The don said that massive investment in agriculture would also help to revive the manufacturing and real sectors of the economy. (NAN)
ACA/FLP/BOS
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Edited by Folorunso Poroye/dele bodunde