Economic diversification: Agriculturalist calls for inclusive growth mechanism

Wed, Nov 11, 2020
By editor
2 MIN READ

Agriculture

Stephen Bamidele, an agricultural extension officer, has called for an inclusive growth agricultural mechanism, as a panacea to achieving the nation’s desired economic diversification.

Bamidele made the call on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to him, the dwindling global oil regime had made the government to prioritise agriculture as a means of diversification and boosting the nation’s economy.

Bamidele said such an agricultural mechanism was needed as a catalyst to trigger and catapult the economy away from recession which over-dependence on oil had caused the country.

The agriculture expert defined inclusive growth as economic growth with a wider access to sustainable socio-economic opportunities for the majority which also gave adequate protection to the vulnerable in the society.

According to Bamidele, inclusive growth in line with ‘Agrifood’ system, would prevent a situation where the rich would become richer and the poor would be poorer.

‘‘It has been observed that while the government keeps boasting of ever increasing GDP; what the man on the street notices is ever increasing poverty among those at the ‘bottom of the pyramid,” he said.

Bamidele said substantial growth in the agriculture sector would need to be stimulated and sustained in the efforts to reverse the anomaly.

‘‘Doing this shall require plugging the country’s predominantly smallholder farmers into mark-oriented value chains.

‘‘This will in turn provide goods and services to local, regional and global markets, thus creating wealth for both the families and the nation,’’ he said.

Bamidele lauded the state government under Gov. Kayode Fayemi for prioritising agribusiness in promoting commercial and private-sector driven agricultural transformation.

According to him, such intervention would assist greatly in achieving a sustainable food security, create employment opportunities and foster agro-based industrial development for poverty alleviation and wealth creation. (NAN)

– Nov. 11, 2020 @ 14:42 GMT |

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