Ohaneze Chieftain Urges Government to Prioritize Agriculture, Tourism

NEWS BY I DEPTH AFRICA


Ohanaeze Ndigbo

A Chieftain of the Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, an Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, on Wednesday urged government at all levels to give priority attention to agriculture and tourism to enhance Nigeria’s economic development.

Ezeonwuka made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha, Anambra, against the backdrop of the current oil price and devaluation of the naira.

According to him, the country’s major problem is corruption.

“If this time around, the oil will cease to exist, we now know there is something more than oil ten times.

“Agriculture and tourism combined together can chase away (replace) oil and we can make fortunes more from tourism.

“In tourism, we need security so that the whole World will start coming to Nigeria, to experience Nigeria culture (and hospitality).

“Secondly, Nigeria has arable land that can turn around agriculture and these agricultural products can be exported to Europe.

“Europe has no opportunities; they import most of their foods.

“But if Nigeria can take fruit market and vegetable market and tuber market in Europe, it would yield more revenue than oil.

“So, we don’t know how God loves us so much to give us such arable land, fertile land.

“But they have closed down all their (farm produce processing) industries. Remember the textile mills in the North, all have closed down because we depend in oil.”