Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba on Wednesday called for more intervention in the agricultural sector by development partners and other stakeholders in order to truly revive and diversify the nation’s economy.
Ishaku made the call on Wednesday at the Community of Practice meeting held in Jalingo.
He said that the dependence on only oil as the mainstay of the economy over the years had negatively affected the system.
He also said that the only way to revive and diversify the nation’s economy was for development partners and other stakeholders to intervene in the sector.
According to him, the economy is susceptible to a lot of challenges that could have been prevented if other sectors of the economy are developed.
The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Haruna Manu, said his administration was already making huge investment in the sector, stressing that the visitors should explore investment opportunities in the enormous potential in agriculture, tourism and mining in the state.
“The management of oil revenue has over the years proven ineffective in driving the much-needed development.
“It has therefore become imperative for all of us to look for ways of diversifying the economy in order to stay afloat in the ever changing world.
“With the current global reality, we must embrace alternative income sources both as a nation and component states, especially in the areas of agriculture, mining and tourism.
“Taraba State is blessed with limitless opportunities in these sectors.
“You will discover in the course of your meeting that the vast fertile land, diverse climatic conditions and massive active workforce in the state have made it a perfect hub for investment in the key sectors of agriculture, mining and tourism,” he said.
He said that nearly every crop was being cultivated in the state such as tea, coffee, apple, avocado, sesame seeds, yams, cassava, maize, soybeans, plantains and banana.
“Consequently, my administration has made it a top priority to empower our people to go into mechanised agriculture by providing farm inputs and improved seedlings and other incentives to our farmers.
“We are already in touch with relevant agencies and the private sector to boost the processing of some of these products at the home front. Our potential in rice production is probably second to none.
“That is why I consider this meeting as not only timely but also very crucial. At the end of your meeting, I hope that you will return to your various states with the zeal to begin serious work toward investing in the potential that our dear state offers,’’ Ishaku said.
Earlier, the State commissioner of Budget and Planning, Mr Solomon Elisha, said community of practice “is a forum where state Commissioners of budget and planning meet to enhance their capabilities in performing planning and budgeting functions”.
Elisha said the meeting with the theme: ‘Beyond Oil: Optimising Agro Value Chain for Economic Prosperity at the National and Sub-national Levels of Post COVID-19’ drew participants from the 36 states of the federation and offices of budget and planning and other critical stakeholders in the sector, as well as development partners.