In a bid to increase its
revenue base, the Rivers State Government, has been called upon to insure that arts and craft were properly harnessed to yield more revenue for the state.
An Arts and Craft Consultant in the State, Ms Clara Okpara-Ocha, said this in an interview with newsmen Friday in Port Harcourt.
She said export of arts and craft products could be a huge source of revenue in the state.
Okpara-Ocha, noted that different sources of revenue was a better way of strengthening a state’s  revenue base.
The Arts and Craft, chief said there are numerous ways the state could generate revenue from arts and craft if it were promptly harnessed
Some of such products according to her, include the weaved cloth produced by the cultured and tourism departtment of the state.
She also reassured that since Africans can not beat the Europeans in the production of modern cloths and other arts materials, that the best option was to pay more attention to the production of the locally made arts and craft products.
This she explained, would attract investors to the state who may wish to key into the project with the view to expanding it.
She also discouraged what she described as an over decency on crude oil, saying the state government must devise other means of revenue generation if it plans to salvage the state from the present economic situation.
Another important benefit of the Arts and Craft business, she said was employment generation.
She said upon the commencement of the project, that over 5,000 people would be employed in the sector due to its high level of international demand.