Security and Micro, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) have been identified as a panacea to the growth and development of Nigeria as a nation.
This identification was made by the Delta state Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele and Major-General Lucky Irabor, Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole North East Theatre Command at the one day maiden edition of Ika Economic and Investment Summit with the theme: “Exploiting The Economic Potentials Of Ika Nation Through Strategic Partnership.” put together by the Ika Village Square at Agbor.
According to the trio, investing in MSMEs which is a great employers of labour, would not only boost Nigeria’s economy but, will ensure speedy technological development of the country
Governor Okowa, who opined that it was important for the people to go into agriculture, noted that job opportunities abound through the agriculture value chain.
“As it concerns MSMEs, we have done a lot to encourage our people to be entrepreneurs but, a lot more needs to be done; a lot of our people are not knowledgeable enough and as such, they make a lot of mistakes, we are not only training our people to acquire skills as government but, we are training our youths, equipping them to function on their own, monitor and mentor them to succeed as entrepreneurs because, education backed with skills is the way to go for our country,” Governor Okowa said.
“One of the ways to have an inclusive growth in our nation is agricultural production and its value chain; I am encouraging our politicians to go into farming, there are lot of benefits in farming, it is a great employer of labour; even in the area of palm oil production, we have not been able to produce enough palm oil to meet with the need of Nigerians not to talk of export.” the governor stressed.
The governor challenged parents to as a matter of importance instill in their children, the right values, saying, “Without the right family values of bringing up children who appreciates hard work, we will not achieve the desired results; parents must realize that if they don’t know what their children do to earn a living, they have failed as parents; most of us may not want to talk about it, but, most of us have no control over children which means, we have failed as parents.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, in an address delivered on his behalf by Mr. Ikeghagu H.C, stated, “MSMEs are recognized worldwide as a catalyst for rapid growth, job creation and poverty reduction; they have been described as the incubators of innovation and employment, which are usually resilient to most exogenous shocks.”
On his part, Major-General Lucky Irabor, Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole North East Theatre Command asserted that going to school to acquire certificates with the aim of getting a job with the government was a wasted education, called for the need for all and sundry to de-emphasize thuggery in the pursuit of political aspirations as a nation, adding that, “Without security, there is no development, development and security are interwoven.”
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Delta state Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Kingsley Emu, disclosed that the Economic and Investment Summit was put together to address economic issues facing the Ika ethnic nationality and a bold declaration of the resolve of the people to succeed.
Other speakers at the Economic and Investment Summit were Mr. J.C. Egbon, Mr. Eric Eboh, Mr. Jude Ogala, Commissioner of Police David Igbodo, Mr. Stella Chiemeke, among others.
