Industrialist calls for review of agric policy to boost economy



Awka- AN industrialist, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo has called on the Federal Government to review the country’s agricultural policy as part of measures to diversify the country’s economy.
Speaking in an interview in Awka, Ezeemo recalled that most of the investments in the country during the first republic were made possible with revenue from agricultural produce, like cocoa, palm oil, groundnuts, among others, adding that with the revenue from oil dropping seriously, there was need to return to agriculture.
According to him, Nigerian famers needed to be empowered to show more interest in agriculture, argueing that this was the right time to embark on the agricultural reforms as it had dawned on Nigerians that the era of oil boom was over.
Speaking specifically on cocoa which used to be the economic mainstay of the Western part of the country, Ezeemo said: “Before now, Nigeria was occupying the number one position in the world as cocoa producer but this was abandoned in the wake of oil boom. But I believe that we can place priority on cocoa production again and reclaim our position in the world.
“All hope of Nigeria being giant in production of cocoa again will not be difficult to achieve as cocoa farmers associations that were formed during the first republic still exist and, as such they could be utilized in gathering all peasant cocoa farmers and skilled agriculturalists for exchange of ideas and charting a way forward.”

He said that placing emphasis on cocoa production in the country again would help create more jobs for the teeming unemployed youths , bring back to life moribund industries that produce various beverages with cocoa as raw materials and even give room for export, thereby increasing the revenue for the country.

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