Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of
Delta State has said that his administration, as part of measures under the
Delta beyond oil initiative has set aside $1billion (about N158 billion) market
intervention fund for the growth of the agricultural sector and Small and
Medium Enterprises development in the state.
The Governor who was represented
by his Deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama at Delta
State Trade Fair 2013, in Osubi, near Warri made this
disclosure, while explaining that advanced countries of the world grew by
developing their SMEs and agricultural sector which served as a springboard for
industrialisation and called for concerted efforts towards the growth of the
agricultural sector and SMEs development in the state.
He said that efforts should be
geared towards Nigeria harnessing and channelling production in industrial
sector towards non-oil products backed by local materials and stressed that trade
fairs provide the needed platform to expose locally-made goods and afford local
entrepreneurs the opportunity to interface with their counterparts from other
parts of the world.
NaijaAgroNet
gathered from the governor that the theme of the fair,
‘Trade Beyond Oil,’ was apt as it is set out to address the economic revival
both of the state and the country as a whole as the consciousness is beginning
to dawn on all Nigerians that sole dependence on oil has been
counter-productive.
He asserted that state government
policy of ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ is being pursued vigorously with all machinery
been put in place to ensure that the
state became an industrial and commercial haven through various investment
friendly policies, programmes and windows
of opportunities designed by the private sector operators to grow businesses.
AN/EDop
NaijaAgroNet:
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
Pix: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State