Nigeria, Africa’s Industrial Hub in few years-Oyegun

…Receives Delta state PDP defectors

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has stated that beyond oil, Nigeria will be one of Africa’s industrial Hubs in few years with the diversification efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He said the present administration is building a new economic model which will be sustainable, production-based and will diversify from oil to agriculture, solid minerals and other viable sectors.

Oyegun, speaking at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja when he received political leaders from Delta Central Senatorial district who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, led by Chief Johnson Boro, former Commissioner in the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

Other decampees are: Immediate-past PDP Chairman, Ughelli South LGA, Chief Francis Aguonigho; Chief Sleek Oshare; Chief (Engr.) Isaiah Kekeje; Chief Mathew Kwode; Chief Robert Ojo; Comrade Sunny Ogbududu; Mr, David Edonor, Comrade Saturday Nukueye and Chief Charles Otaiye.

“Economically, things are difficult; there is no question about it. But in spite of that, people of your quality sat down and still want to join the boat because you have seen the future and you know the future belongs to a changed country. A country that produces, not only consume”, he said.

The party national chairman further said, “In the last sixteen years of previous administrations, we just consumed. Thank God this nation brought President Buhari at the point it was about to collapse and all we are doing today is putting the pieces back together again. It is a difficult experience and as a result of that our people are going through some hardship. But there is no question at all, that you can see the silver lining that is on the way.

“By the end of this year, we will be net exporters of rice, today we have started to export yam formally. Today we are certain that all the grains in this country can be produced locally. These are all part of the building blocks towards the Nigeria that we foresee in another year or two. So, tremendous progress is being made to reverse the road at which we were travelling, to build a new economy, an economy based on what we can produce. An economy based on agriculture and our solid minerals”.

The APC National Chairman stated that with the globally decrease in the demand for oil, Nigeria’s economic mainstay, there is every need to diversify the Nigerian economy has become increasingly imperative.

“It is clear today that oil is gone. Britain has declared that in 40 years vehicles that consume fossil fuel will be phased out. The United States of America and other countries of Europe have made similar declarations. So it is fortunate that President Buhari is today in office taking us painfully through the process of change such that this nation will be counted in another few years as one of the industrial power houses of the African continent”, Oyegun said.