20 December 2014, Asaba – Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, yesterday assured that the state economy would remain viable despite the fall in oil price in the international market.
Uduaghan who gave the assurance in Asaba, the State capital while declaring open a one-day export promotion workshop , said the State government has put machineries in place to cushion the effect of oil price on the state.
Represented by the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Chris Ekiyor at the workshop which was organized by the Benin Zonal Office of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the governor held that part of the machineries were anchored on the Delta Beyond Oil programme and said the programme was part of government effort to diversify the state economy through the development of the non-oil sector.
Explaining that the fall of prices of oil in the international oil market was a reminder that the economic salvation of the Nigerian state depends largely on massive development and promotion of the non-oil export sub-sector, Uduaghan said the state government has since provided economic leeway which among others, included “robust synergy between it, the Bank of Industry and organized Private Sector in enhancing agricultural production such as cassava, tomatoes, fish, plantain, yam, among others.
“Currently, four fish feed mills, six cassava processing mills for the production of garri, starch, chips and pellets are in advanced stages across the state.” He appealed to stakeholders in the export business to continually improve their knowledge of export business.
-Vanguard
