Industrialisation
By Yinusa Ishola
Omu-Aran (Kwara) July 12, 2018 (NAN) Prof. (Mrs) Gloria Elemo, Director-General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIRO) on Thursday identified Nigeria’s huge infrastructural deficit as a militating factor for its stunt growth and underdevelopment.
Elemo, a professor of Nutritional Biochemistry, made the assertion during a lecture to commemorate Landmark University’s 5th convocation ceremony in Omu-Aran, Kwara.
She spoke on: “Driving Agriculture Revolution: A spur for Industrial Breakthrough and Sustainable Development’’.
She said such deficit was also responsible for the nation’s being classified as one of the least competitive economies as listed in the recent report by the World Economic Forum.
Elemo said that the noticeable infrastructural deficit clearly indicated that the nation’s industrialisation efforts, both past and current, were not enough to create the enabling environment to witness the desired transformation.
“Our technological readiness is 112 out of 137; infrastructure is 132 out of 137 and higher education at 116 position, when compared to 137 other economies of the world.
“Nigeria is still awaiting an industrial breakthrough, especially since the oil boom has failed to deliver on its potential to build infrastructure across sectors and increase our wealth.
“Today, Nigeria cannot be called an industrialised nation.
“For one, we have a huge infrastructural deficit which is clearly linked to our poor economic growth and development,” she said.
Elemo said other bottlenecks impeding the nation’s economic growth are corruption, insurgency in parts of the country, severe weather condition, poor access to finance, policy instability and poor public health issues.
She suggested massive investment in the nation’s agricultural revolution as panacea toward achieving an industrialised economy.
The research expert stressed the need to invest in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector as “the engine that drives the economy’’.
“The economic issues facing Nigeria might seem huge and insurmountable, however, it is often said that in the midst of difficulties, lie opportunities.
“One area where we do have a natural advantage is agriculture.
“We have huge and diversified human resource with a significant population working in the agriculture sector.
“If we can channel this resource properly it could bring Nigeria prosperity,” she added.
Elemo expressed the institute’s readiness to collaborate with Landmark University in bringing about the desired revolution and transformation of the nation’s economy using agriculture as a veritable tool.
Bishop David Oyedepo, the Institution’s Chancellor, expressed the need for the authority to create the enabling environment for the younger ones to develop interest in agriculture both as profession and vocation.
According to him, opportunities in agriculture will transform a nation as big as Nigeria.
“If we don’t wake up and go back to agriculture, we may start dying of starvation with the ever increasing population of the country.
“The black colour has been humiliated for long because we will not take responsibility,” Oyedepo said. (NAN)
ISHO/GY
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Edited by Grace Yussuf