The Director General of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Azikiwe Onwualu, recently said Nigeria could achieve greatness through agriculture.

Onwualu said this in Abuja at a book launch entitled: “Economic Empowerment through Agricultural Production.”

According to him, Nigeria could compete favourably with the developed countries through agricultural practices, if properly utilised.

He said this was because agriculture was the major employer of labour in any part of the world, especially in Africa.

“ Self sufficiency and empowerment can be achieved if people are really ready to take agriculture as occupation without necessarily waiting for the government.

“ In China today, more than half of the population are engaged in farming, and it has gone a long way in alleviating their sufferings.”

Onwualu said it was high time Nigerians began to think inward and developed our agricultural base in order to reduce over dependence on oil and become self reliant.

The Author of the book, Mr Joseph Nduka, said his intention was to design a manual that could be used for empowerment of Nigerians, adding that engaging the youths with it would promote economic growth.

He advised the Federal Government to pay more attention to agriculture so as to create job opportunities to its teeming population, especially the youths.