Oil economy diversification is essential for growth, Northern development

(VP Office Reports) – Nigeria’s Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo has said that linking the oil revenues with the diversification of the economy is necessary for the growth and development of Northern Nigeria.
 
While speaking in a public lecture organized by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna State recently, Namadi Sambo said that the Northern Region and other parts of the country require the articulation and effective implementation of policies that are capable of ensuring effective exploitation of the country’s natural and human resources for the transformation of the region.  Adding, it can only be achieved within the context of strategic development planning.
 
He described the theme of the lecture which was “Northern Nigeria Economy Free of Oil Revenues” as appropriate; indicating that the implementation of the Northern Region Economic Development Agenda will not be a difficult task given that all the States within the Northern Region have already articulated their individual vision documents.
 
Namadi Sambo observed that the Agenda was short of discovering the areas of complimentary projects and programmes with a view to strengthening the synergy among States in order to erive benefits within the region from agriculture, infrastructure, power, irrigation and transportation.
 
According to him, at the national level a long term strategic development blueprint tagged: “Vision 20:2020” has already been articulated as a home grown agenda for stimulating economic growth, diversifying the economy away from oil and launching the country into the path of sustainable and rapid economic development.
 
He further stated that Government has been resolute in its commitment to sustainable and  improved economic management of the country; saying this has impacted positively on the performance of the Northern Region and the entire country. “At the macroeconomic level, the economy has remained resilient with a robust GDP growth averaging 7% within the period 2011-2013 and driven by the non-oil sector, despite the flooding in several parts of the country in 2012 and a decline of inflation rate from 12.0% in 2012 to 8.0% in 2013.
 
The Vice President explained that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Investments (UNCTAD) is the highest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment flows into Africa; indicating that government is desirous of reviving the agricultural sector to provide job opportunities for millions of dry season farmers in the North and to  attract about 750,000 young Nigerians into Agribusiness.
 
Speaking on government intervention programmes such as the YouWin which has created 18,000 jobs, SURE-P with 120,000 job opportunities and the transportation sector with a boost of 79 road projects spread across the three geo-political zones of the North, Sambo noted the resurgence of activities in the water resources sector with dams revived and constructed. He further mentioned that hydro and thermal plants have been built for the power sector to enhance electricity supply. The education sector, he said has construction 125 Almajiri schools in the North and the ‘Saving One Million Lives Programme” in the health sector has engaged 11,300 frontline health workers recruited across the country.
 
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the Board of Patrons of the Arewa Consultative Forum, who is the former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon (General) inaugurated the new leaders of the Arewa Consultative Forum and thanked the immediate past leaders, who according to Gowon were delivering on the promises of the founding fathers of the organization.
 
Yakubu Gowon promised unwavering commitment to pursuing peaceful co-existence for the North, particularly and the entire country, cautioning that the noble objectives of the founding fathers should not pass away with the proliferation of elders’ groups in the region, who claim to speak for the same North which ACF was founded.
 
He expressed optimism that the country will overcome its challenges and urged Nigerians to unite and fight against security challenges and other social malaises – Boko Haram, kidnapping and ethno-religious crisis, among others. 
 
In his talk, the Guest Lecturer at the occasion, Abdulfatah Ahmed, who is the Governor of  Kwara State called on the leaders of the region to unite towards developing the zone in the area of agriculture which has been the mainstay of the nation before the discovery of oil.  He also urged youths to shun violence and join hands to uplift the region.
 
Other speakers at the event were the representative of the Sultan –  Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris; former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari; the host Governor, Murkhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal who read the remarks by the Senate President. They urged all Nigerians to shun disunity and unite towards developing the region and the entire country.