SMEDAN DG Urges Proactive Diversification Of Economy

The Director-General of
the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Alhaji Dikko Radda,  has urged the Federal Government to take proactive measures to diversify the economy.
The Tide sources reports that Radda made the call in Sokoto yesterday at the launching of the 2016 Sesame seed planting season.
Represented by Mr Abu Ozigi, SMEDAN’s Director of Engineering, Technology and Infrastructure, Radda noted that the country had paid lip service to the issue of diversification of the economy in the last few decades.
“The country is now confronted with the obvious need for a paradigm shift.
“This will pursue proactive diversification and speedily too, to make up for the lost opportunities in recent past.’’
The director-general suggested that the promotion of agro-allied businesses and other non-oil sectors was the sure way out of the current economic situation.
Radda commended a recent tripartite initiative aimed at promoting sesame seed manual and business profiles, as well as business plans.
The agreement was entered into by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN).
Radda said the initiative served as a template to be adopted by potential investors.
“There is a tremendous potential of sesame seed production in Sokoto State and other parts of Nigeria.
“What is required is to pay the needed attention to high quality processing, adequate for local consumption and export.’’