The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said it is providing and will continue to provide interventions for Agriculture and Industrial revival of Nigeria as the two sectors amongst others remained a veritable tools towards building a robust economy for the country.
Nwanisobi Osita, the CBN acting director, Corporate Affairs Communications, disclosed this on Saturday, October 31, 2020, in Lokoja during a one-day interactive enlightenment session with stakeholders organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria in collaboration with labour unions.
Nwanisobi said the 5-year policy thrust of the apex bank which covered 2019-2024 initiated by the CBN Governor will grow the real economy for the country.
He said that the policy which centred around establishing a firm and stable micro economic environment would pave room for low inflation, financial stability, exchange rate stability, and efficient payment system.
The acting Director who lamented that the country can not continue to import items and consumables the nation has the capacity to produce, said through Anchor Borrower financial intervention of the CBN, minimum of ten commodities would be produce to make food readily available for Nigerians.
According to him, “There must be a limit to importation of goods. We can grow tomatoes, rice, wheat, cotton, and other consumable, and CBN will continue to provide finance for farmers to grow those commodities and create jobs for Nigerians.”
Speaking on the revival of the nation’s economy, he said the Apex bank is making concerted effort to see a double-digit economic growth where the inflation rate would be a single digit, adding that the bank would also look at issues of power, industries, and the nation’s foreign reserve.
He said only positive results from the Central Bank’s intervention can help reduced the youths unemployment and underemployment of the country standing presently at a frightening 60 percent.
Vice President, Industrial Labour Union, Comrade Issa Aremu on his own charged State Governors to complement the CBN effort by making their states to an investment centres rather than depending solely on federal allocation that can not efficiently pay civil servants salaries.
“It is time the governors should emulate the industrial evolution of our great leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo who have done a lot to established many industries in the country.
“Governors must be seen to be on duty to industrialize and create jobs for their citizens” he said. Aremu while commending CBN for the long-term intervention in Agricultural expecially in rice and textile production.
The labour leader also charged security agencies in the country to be alive to their responsibility, saying no investor will come to Nigeria if the security challenges remain unsolved.
Kogi State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Onuh Edoka appealed to CBN to step up their effort in checking and monitoring of commercial banks in the area of their dealing with customers, saying their abnormal charges calls for concern.
Source: Vanguard
