By Victor Ahiuma-Young

ILORIN—As the effect of the economic recession bites harder, organised labour has called on the Federal Government to speed up its efforts at diversifying the economy.
Speaking through Chemical and Non-Metallic Senior Staff Association, CANMPSSA, labour said the Federal Government should spread its diversification tentacles to agriculture, tourism, solid minerals, hospitality and others to boost the nation’s revenue base.

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the opening of a 2-day National Economic Council Retreat at the Statehouse Conference Centre on 21st March 2016.

President of the union, Mohammed Gafar, who made the call at the union’s three-day Annual National Management/Industrial Relations Seminar and Entrepreneurship Skills Acquisition in Ilorin, Kwara State, said the economic situation, which appeared to have defied all reasonable economic policies so far, called for more seriousness on the planned diversification.

According to him, Nigeria, with huge skilled personnel, materials and natural resources, ought not to be in the present precarious situation, but for lack of foresight by past leaders.

As a way out, the labour leader said government should give priority to agriculture, which had been a major source of revenue generation and raw material for manufacturing industries, before oil was discovered in commercial quantities.

He said: “Our challenge is that nobody in government is paying attention to the problem in the manufacturing sector. It is so bad, we wonder how industries are coping.”