By Grace Cofie
The Nigerian Economic Summit Groups has urged governors to reduce poverty in their respective states by opening up the rural sector and improving their internally generated revenue.
The Chairman, Mr Asue Ighodalo, gave the charge on the sidelines of the 27th Nigeria Economic Summit convened by the group.
According to Ighodalo, there is the need to provide extension services and storage facilities to rural farmers, while also urging them to give quality education and improved healthcare facilities to residents of their states.
“We can no longer afford to dream and theorise about the right policies, projects and programmes that will prepare us for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or gaze in admiration or envy at other countries as they leave us far behind,” he said.
The Chairman urged the Federal Government to leverage the opportunities of the times to make and implement the right policies.
The Group Managing Director, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Omoboyede Olusanya, said the challenge of rising food prices across the country could have a solution if more players in the agri-food sector increased their investments in homegrown innovation and local production of raw materials.
“Nigeria needs 60 million tonnes of grains annually, the nation produces about 22 million tonnes of grains and innovation of local raw materials had further driven investments in backward integration,* he said.
Olusanya added that FMN championed the use of local raw materials to create affordable products for Nigerians.
He ensured that,even as imported raw materials prices increase due to the gap between supply and demand, the companies were able to keep prices low while maintaining quality through innovation and local supply.
