The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, has called on South-East governors to harness the agricultural and tourism potentials of the region for economic growth and job creation benefits.
This call is contained in a statement jointly issued by NUF President, Chief Augustine Chukwudum and its Secretary-General, Mr. Tony Igbokwe, on Monday in Enugu.
The statement tasked the governors to start work and draw up blueprints that would help the region to harness its agricultural and tourism potentials that had been neglected since 1970.
According to the statement, due to lack of developments in both sectors, the zone losses more than $150 billion yearly as accruable revenue.
“The agriculture and tourism sectors can transform the region to the Holland of Africa. Holland as a country harnessed its agricultural and tourism sectors; thereby making the country a great economic power in Europe today.
“Malaysia came to the South-East before Nigeria’s Independence and picked up palm seedlings, went to their country, planted, nurtured and researched into it. Today, Malaysia generates over $20 billion yearly from palm oil and its derivatives.
“The South-East where the Malaysia palm seedlings came from, today is importing palm oil. What we have in excess previously has left us; thus, showing how negligence we are as a people and government,” it said.
The statement noted that the zone had the best untapped tourism sites as well as fertile and arable land but neglected these great secrors because of monthly allocation that comes from Abuja.
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“Tourism sites and potentials very much abound that can attract more than 10 million tourists yearly to the region.
“It is evident that if our governors pay attention to these sectors mentioned, more than 75 percent of our people will be engaged; thereby, making the region an investment and job hub in the country.
“South-East governors should leverage on private sector investors to push these two goldmine sectors waiting to be tapped, and create enable environment for the investors who will invest heavily in these sectors.
“The governors should put the region in the world tourism calendar as this will go a long way in positioning the zone as the best tourism destination in the world as the South-East has so much rich culture and tourist sites wating to be tapped,” the group added.
