Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on Wednesday said that the era of the nation's dependence on oil for economic growth was over, saying there was need for concerted effort to diversify the economy.
He said this in Abuja when a group of his supporters paid him a condolence visit over the death of his father, Alhaji Musa Sale Kwankwaso.
Speaking during the visit, the former Governor lamented that the country, after 60 years of independence had been sharing resources from oil, stressing that other sectors of the economy must be developed especially agriculture and tourism.
Kwankwaso said, “We ought not to be solely dependent on oil. There’s no justifiable reason for that. And there’s no other way to reverse the situation but to start investing in the development of other sectors of the economy”.
Kwankwaso who represented Kano Central Senatorial District in the nations upper legislative chamber between 2015 and 2019 said there are many countries of the third world that do not have oil and yet, are doing well, emphasizing that Nigeria has no reason not to do well.
“Some countries even have tourism as their principal revenue source. In our own case, we are blessed with so many minerals, but the constitution has these resources in the exclusive list. It is clearly one of the issues to be addressed if we want to make progress as a nation,” the former federal lawmaker said.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential hopeful said as the centres of development, states should harness the resources in their areas for optimal use. He said if critical infrastructures like energy and roads are in place, industrialization should follow.
He listed agribusiness, manufacturing/industrialisation, solid minerals and tourism as sure ways to prosperity for Nigeria.
Kwankwaso however expressed preference for agriculture and agribusiness.
He said: "Of all the alternatives that I have listed, none of them by itself alone can give us food except agriculture and agribusiness because without food, there is no life. Therefore, agriculture and agribusiness are top on the list of alternatives to oil.”
Responding on behalf of the visiting team, the leader, Mr. Goodwin Attah who prayed for the soul of the deceased also added that they came to commiserate with the former governor over the passing away of his father he described him as an epitome of moral guidance and valued community leader who impacted positively on Kano and Nigeria.
Atta who applauded the leadership quality of Engr. Kwankwaso, especially during his term in office as the Kano State governor, said he contributed immensely to the development of Kano state.
0 Comments