Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris (left), discussing with FCT Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, at the 2016 Federal Inland Revenue Service’s Coporate Strategy Retreat in Abuja recently.

The Vice President
and Treasurer of the World Bank, Ms Aruma Oteh has called on the Federal Government to reposition the Nigerian Oil and gas industry, stating that the sector has the potential to provide for the future and the improvement of lives.
She said that there are a lot of discussions on how to share the oil revenue instead of how to grow and develop the country amongst the three tiers of government. She pointed out that many state governments have cut down capital spending, while others are struggling to pay salaries and even bail themselves out from debt.
Oteh who was the erstwhile DG of Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed this on Monday recently at the Philip Asiodu Lecture Series with theme: “The Proper Role of Oil in the Context of Accelerating Growth and Development in Nigeria”.
She also stated that with the country’s heavy reliance on the oil industry and the national budget’s almost completely dependent on oil revenues, the efficient management and protection of oil resources should not only be a developmental issue, but a national security issue.
“Diversifying Nigeria’s economy away from oil is urgent for two reasons. “First, despite Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, (GDP) growth over the past decade, it lags behind on human development and competitiveness indicators”, she said.
She advocated for a broader based, more inclusive economy to effectively transmit as much oil wealth as possible into improving the wellbeing of all Nigerians.
She highlighted some of the challenges in the oil sector to include pro-cyclical fiscal policies, weakening of the agricultural sector, and governance that has been characterised by weak institutions and lack of transparency, amongst others.