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As the nation witnesses the plummeting of crude oil prices, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has said that geopolitical restructuring is imperative, urging the Federal Government to give grants to small-scale enterprises to remain afloat after the coronavirus disease.
Meanwhile, Ibadan-based economist, Dr. Samson Olalere, has called on the states to think outside the box.
Secretary General of YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide, said in Ibadan, “I have been hearing of diversification in Nigeria now for over 20 years and no active step has been taken in that direction because political leaders have depended heavily on crude oil. There was nothing like that in the First Republic when the federating units explored their resources and paid royalty to the Federal Government.”
On his part, Olalere, former consultant to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said: “Unfortunately, we have a government that has never been proactive nor thought of emergency situation like we find ourselves. We don’t have to wait on the Federal Government to lead, as they seem to be bereft of ideas. The states or regions should start thinking outside the box for a way out.
“Like the South West took the bull by the horn on the security issue responding with ‘Amatekun’, so they should think outside the box regarding economic and scientific solution to the meltdown.
“Each region should think outside the box, annexing all available area of comparative advantage and use same to navigate out of the impending economic chaos. They must lead and let the docile Federal Government follow. Dependent on the sharing from the centre should stop. The game is survival and it requires ability to think fast and outside the box.”
