By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has reiterated the need for the government to diversify the nation’s economy and be less dependent on oil.
Governor Emmanuel who spoke through his deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo, said this in his remarks at the two-day retreat on Petroleum Industry Act 2021 organised by the Revenue Mobilsation Allocation and Fiscal Commission in Uyo on Wednesday.
The governor said that there was urgent need to diversify the economy from oil to agriculture, small and medium scale entreprise, aviation and tourism as only oil could no longer sustain the nation’s economy.
He reminded that industrialised countries of the world were making plans to seek for other sources of power apart from oil, therefore Nigeria should begin to explore alternative sources of revenue.
“Let me however emphasize a central issue that must be addressed urgently, the need to diversify our economy and be less dependent on oil.
“We are aware of the determined efforts of industrialised nations to wean themselves off oil, and place emphasis on other sources to power their economy,” Emmanuel said.
Emmanuel called participants at the retreat to brainstorm and make recommendations on how the federation account would benefit from the decentralisation of the oil industry, especially as it affects the host communities.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Mr Umaru Abdullahi, Acting Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, said that the oil industry is very important to the country and has a major impact on the nation’s economy.
Abdullahi said that eventhough the industry contributed less than 10 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, the industry accounts for over 80 per cent of nation’s foreign earnings.
He noted that any adverse change in the industry would have a major and long term impact on federation revenue, stressing that it might have been the reason governments in the past and present concentrated on the sector.
The chairman commended the present government for being courageous to enact the petroleum industry act after so many years.
The theme of the retreat is; “Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, and its Impact on Federation Revenue.”
