Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says adequate provision of regular power supply would facilitate the diversification of the economy.Speaking while playing host to the course 34 participants of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Oshiomhole said “there are huge challenges and what we need to do is to reinvent the way things are done”.
According to the Governor, “you have a very interesting aspect of our economy to look at; how to put Nigeria back to work. Even the product, we rely on remains a national embarrassment -that we are exporting crude and importing refined product”.
“It remains a national embarrassment that in the 21st century, we do not have the capacity to refine the product we need. Twenty years ago our leaders knew that it did not make sense to export crude that is why they set up refineries in Warri, Port-Harcourt and Kaduna. It does not make a sense that the economy is being run on generators. We cannot diversify the economy on the basis of generators”.
Comrade Oshiomhole noted that if the private sector is to create more jobs, we must realize that we need stable power supply and we can’t diversify the economy on the basis of generator.
Earlier, the Director-General of NIPSS, Professor Tigani Bande said they were on a study tour of the state.
Professor Bande who said the theme of their study tour “Economic Diversification as a means of Sustaining Economic Development in Nigeria” requires the efforts of all levels of government if the economy is to be diversified.
The Director General commended the governor for his leadership style and contributions to national development.
