Create Jobs through Real estate & Integrated Farming, Govt Urged

An agro-tour operator, Mrs. Oluyinka Taiwo, has said that the current fall in the price of crude oil had made it necessary for the diversification of the economy to develop the under-developed areas of the economy like real estate, agriculture and mining.

Taiwo has advised the federal and state governments to assist private individuals to embrace integrated farming to tackle unemployment in Nigeria.

Taiwo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at a study tour of Songhai Centre, in the Republic of Benin, organised by Hadur Travels and Tour. She said that given the current economic realities in the world, there was a need for governments to diversify their economy from depending on crude oil to agriculture.

“We should look at Nigeria without the crude oil; the oil has been a blessing and it has also been a nuisance. We should see agriculture as one of the money spinners for this country.

We have fertile land and good weather, yet, many are unemployed,’’ she said. Taiwo also advised the various state governments to focus on areas they considered to be of agricultural strength in their states and revive the farm settlement culture to reduce dependence on federal allocations.

“For instance, we have the Osun Palm Oil Farm, and in Lagos State, we have farm settlements in Ketu, the Piggery Estate, the Vegetable Estate, the Integrated Livestock Farming, Coconut Seed Project, Boat Cruise and Ornamental Fish Ponds.