Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, has set up a committee to work with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC)’s ‘Zero Oil’ Plan initiative of the Federal Government.
The Zero Oil Plan initiative, part of the federal government’s strategy to revamp the economy, is one of the best steps towards Nigeria’s pursuit to diversify its economy away from the monolithic product of crude oil which has crashed, Bello said.
Bello made the declaration when he received the Executive Director/CEO of the NEPC, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, who led other management team on a courtesy call at his office in Government House Minna.
Bello said, “Nigerians have always known the right path to take in changing the economic narrative of the country but lacked the courage to take the bull by horn. The situation we have found ourselves necessitated by continuous slide in price of oil. We have no option as a people than to turn to agriculture and other natural resources”.
Bello said that Nigeria has vast arable land for farming and other natural resources like solid minerals for export, adding, “Niger State is blessed with several key products such as; rice, soya bean, cotton and gold among others will not want to be left behind”.
According to the governor, “The truth is that Niger state is richly blessed with natural resources more than what the NEPC is promoting now and we are set to key into the new moves as the initiative is in line with cardinal priority programme of this administration”.
While soliciting for the collaboration of the Private Sector and strong international up-takers being involved for the initiative to succeed and for its sustenance, the governor argued that funding could be a challenge hence the need for the involvement of interested business partners.