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Irked by the country’s dependence on oil revenue, the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ conference in Asaba, Delta State, will discuss how the country can move to other areas of the economy
| By Olu Ojewale | Aug. 26, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT
NIGERIAN editors are holding a conference to help the country to relinquish its dependence on oil as the main source of income. Hence, the ninth edition of the All Nigerian Editors Conference in Asaba, Delta State, will discuss papers from economic experts, ministers, governors and top businessmen on viable ideas to help the country be less dependent on oil. The conference, which holds from August 21 to 24, will be chaired by Segun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State, and former managing director of Daily Times. The theme of the four-day conference is: “Nigeria Beyond Oil: Role of the Editor.’’
Aliko Dangote, a business mogul and Africa’s richest man, is expected to set the tone of the conference in a keynote address. Some of the key speakers include Akinwumi Adesina, minister of agriculture, who is slated to speak on, “The Value Chain Roadmap’’ and Edem Duke, minister of tourism, who will deliver a paper on “Oil Exhaustible, Tourism Inexhaustible.”
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, managing director and chief executive officer, Access Bank and Sylvester Monye, special adviser to the president on performance monitoring and evaluation, will deliver papers on, “Financial Institutions In a Non-Oil Economy,’’ and ‘’Opportunities in Non-Oil Nigeria’’ respectively. Moderators at the event include Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission and Onyema Ugochukwu, a former editor of the Daily Times and former governorship candidate on the ticket of the People Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State. Labaran Maku, minister of information, will speak as the special guest while Anyim Pius Anyim, secretary to the government of the Federation, is the special guest of honour.
Emmanuel Uduaghan, the host governor, who will deliver the welcome address, is expected to be joined by other state governors from the northern and southern parts of the country to present their views on the path the nation should take in order to drop its prolonged dependence on oil. The Guild has also set aside the last day of the conference for the expected 300 editors to brainstorm on “Life After The Chair: The Editors’ Colloquium’’, a session to be facilitated by Kabiru Yusuf, chairman and chief executive officer of Daily Trust. It will be chaired by Ted Iwere, former managing director of The Daily Independent newspaper.
There will also be an investiture of new fellows and induction of new members of the Guild at a Gala Night to be organised by the state government at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, to round off the event.
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My dear President Femi,
This is a highly welcome development: Nigeria Beyond Oil. Our dear country is endowed with so much natural resources – vast arable land, large body of waters, good climatic conditions, much unharnessed mineral deposits, livestock in diversity, human capital and large population. With this type of seminar a lot will be achieved.
I have just, a few minutes ago, suggested to the Power Minister, Prof, Nebo, to involve all the State Governors and all the Local Government Chairmen for harnessing Solar and Wind energies in their domain. They should ensure that their people have steady power supply for agricultural and industrial use. Proper packaging is our major problem.
Really, we have no alternative than to harness all our natural endowments. Oil should not be our only source of income. As a child I could remember when my mother was involved in palm kernel exportation. Those were the days of Groundnut Pyramids in the North, Palm Produce in the East, and Cocoa Pyramids in the West.
With Premier, Micheal Okpala then, a crate of eggs was three pence, and ten cups of garri was one pence! There were farm settlements everywhere in the East then. With five pence or less you buy a chicken. The earlier we go back to such a time, the better. It is simply all hands on deck. We should turn from consumer nation to producer nation. Why can’t Nigeria feed her citizens? Every family will be able to produce at least fifty cobs of maize every year. If you have no land, produce bananas,
plantain, fish, fruits such as mangoes, oranges, pineapples etc. Everybody of age must contribute to the feeding the nation!
Please, Femi make sure that you implement all the resolutions of the seminar. For many years now, the nagging problem has always been that of implementation. Immediately the Seminar is over, we return to the statusquo! Please set a time frame to accomplish all your recommendations!
Please, look into our packaging, which must compete with the international market. Most of the products we rush is just attractive because of their packaging. Check ordinary sardines, for instance, we pay for the trade name and the can. It is still life fish that was dressed, baked and canned. It will remain the same fish if we grow it in Nigeria. Corned beef is still a life cow that was cooked and canned.
May the good Lord help Nigeria.
gHtlFB I truly appreciate this article post.Much thanks again. Really Cool.