Indian Don Decries Nigeria’s Food Import Bill

A Professor of Business
Studies at the Shardai University, India, Prof. Pramod Mitra, has urged Nigeria to reduce its food import bill which currently stands at N1.3trn.
Mitra made the call in Oko, Anambra on Monday, at an international conference hosted by the Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
He also called for the reduction in the lending rate which stands at 17 per cent.
In a lecture titled, “Leadership in the Banking and Financial Sector,” the don, however, lauded the country’s gross domestic product currently at 7.7 per cent.
Mitra, who is the Director of Human Resources at the School of Medical Sciences and Research of the university, also called for massive job creation and poverty reduction.
“There is also the need for the creation of development corporations and non-governmental organisations to take rural self-employment training as part of their social responsibilities.
“The Federal Government should encourage income tax-free policy for the agricultural sector to cut down on food import,” he advised.
In his address, the Rector of the institution, Prof. Godwin Onu, said the theme of the conference was timely in view of the forthcoming general elections.
He said the institution was poised to maintain the academic excellence which it was known for.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Joseph Okoye of the political science department at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said that recommendations from the conference would be forwarded to the Federal Government for considerations.
Okoye expressed the hope that the recommendations would proffer solutions to the country’s leadership and economic problems.
Our correspondent  reports that the conference has as the theme, “Changing Contours of Leadership in Emerging and Developing Economies.”

L-R: Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (Nscdc), Enugu State, Mr Nathaniel Ubong, Representative of Enugu State Government, Mr Chime Richard and representative of Commandant, Nigerian Army 82 Garrison, Capt. Umar Garba, at the Nscdc 2014 Security Summit in Enugu, recently.