Alagbada Advises South-West State To Set Pace For Economic Development
Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Mr. Ismaila Jayeoba Alagbada has advised all South-West states to harness the vast human and material resources of the region for the economic emancipation of the people of the region.
He gave the charge at the 3rd South-West Regional Integration Programme organized by the Nation Newspaper in collaboration with CEEDEE Resources which held at the Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti recently.
The Commissioner stated that the programme was put in place to boost the economy of the region through the promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES) which provided the opportunity to unveil and showcase products to the world, and also aimed at solving to a large extent, the high rate of unemployment in the states.
Alagbada explained that for the entire region to experience rapid growth in their economy, there must be an upgrade of infrastructural facilities in each state. Using the State of Osun as a mirror for the South-West states, the Commissioner cited various achievements of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the areas of Agriculture, Education, Market and Industrial development, which has boosted the economy of the state.
He therefore enjoined the participants from the South-West states to take advantage of the golden opportunity of patriots who are in governance in this region, by placing the region on the path of sustainable and irreversible economic development.
Similarly, the Commissioner called the participant’s attention to the establishment of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), by the current governors of the states, stressing that the birth of this body indeed marks the dawn of a new era in the annals of history, as a people, and also to pursue the regional integration agenda of the states of western Nigeria.
Alagbada stated further that in order for the South-West states to achieve rapid and monumental socio-economic development, they must work assiduously in enacting a focused development paradigm for mobilizing the collective strength, assets and capabilities lying within the region, towards achieving an enhanced socio-economic growth and development.
He finally stated that once the region sets the pace in this regard, the other regions will no doubt follow and the end result will be an economically strong nation.
OSUNNEWS