Delta State born environmentalist and development advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff has called on Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori to adopt a pragmatic approach towards industrialising state.
While stating that leaders all over the world now adopt strategies to harness the resources of their countries for more infrastructural development, job creation and economic growth, translating to wealth creation, Comrade Mulade said Delta State cannot be an exception, especially as the State is richly endowed with human capital and natural resources which are the keys to unlocking the greatness of the State.
The development advocate and the Ibe-Serimowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-west LGA called on the State Governor to industrialise the State using its agricultural and aqua-cultural endowments. He said “Delta State is greatly endowed with arable land and marine resources that can turn the State into a food basket for local consumption and create revenues via exports while also achieving the aim of diversifying from an oil-dependent economy in the long run.”
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The Gbaramatu Chief noted that adopting an agro-based industrialisation strategy would go a long way in creating wealth for the State’s teeming unemployed youths and women. “By engaging them, it will reduce the rate of unemployment and food scarcity, while boosting food sufficiency and its affordability, a key to reducing the poverty index of the State,” he asserted.
He further stated that the industrialisation of the State through agriculture and aqua-culture would create opportunities for youths and women, and curtail the wastage of idle human resources and turn them into assets that can contribute their quota to the growth and development of the State.
According to Mulade, “agro-based industrialisation will help to reduce the insecurity challenges and criminal tendencies and immorality prevalent in the society. As the saying goes, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. When the youths and women are meaningfully engaged, this will improve peace and reduce anti-social behaviours like armed robbery, prostitution amongst others, and in the long run attract more investors into the State.”
He said apart from crude oil, “the many resources in the riverine areas of the State are greatly untapped especially in the aquacultural sector. The potentials of unemployed youths in the creeks can be tapped thereby turning the coastal areas into exporting zones of seafoods and revenue generation.”
He stated that failure of the State government to meaningfully engage the next generation would amount to societal devastation that would be difficult to recover from as the negative impact would be disastrous.
He, therefore, appealed to the Oborevwori led administration in the state to prioritise the industrialisation of the State through agriculture and aquaculture, as Delta has a lot to benefit in the long run. “This poor areas should be strategically looked into, devoid of politics, for the interest of the future of our dear Delta State.”
