The Director-General, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Mr Emmanuel Cobham have listed agriculture amongst other four areas for the Federal Government to focus on in its diversification agenda in Abuja yesterday.
Cobham who advised that the diversification should aim at boosting capacities in the manufacturing, mining, and agriculture and services sectors for sustainable development, reiterated that the Government should continue to encourage the productive capacities of large-scale industries as well as the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to manufacture goods competitively.
The Chambers boss emphasized that Agro-businesses should be promoted, local content strategy must be encouraged, while Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) should be developed to be the major driver of the economy.
Cobham also called on the government to provide finance, risk-bearing facilities, market information and value-added advisory services to businesses. He also added that the government should also evolve economic policies to fast-track development in all the political zones of the country.
The Chambers reiterated that the government must improve competitiveness of locally produced goods through maintenance of standards for enhanced job creation and economic growth and assured that the outcome would deepen export-oriented investments in the country’s non-oil sector and improved revenue generation for the country.