Port Harcourt –  The National Lottery Regulatory Commission said on Monday Nigeria could earn N250 billion annually from lottery if properly harnessed.

The Director-General of the Commission, Mr Adolphus Ekpe, said in Port Harcourt that the country had a huge market to earn revenue from lottery.

He said lottery could earn as much revenue as the oil and gas industry and that the commission would hold a retreat in Dec. to re-strategise and promote the awareness of lottery.

“Because, as the new Director-General of the Commission, my preliminary assessment of the place reveals that there is the need for re-strategising in the operations of the commission.

“The management retreat, which is scheduled to hold from Dec. 5 to Dec. 7, is bringing in the top management of the Commission and then, all the zonal coordinators.

“We have 14 branches and zones. Every geo-political zone has an office of the commission, and then there were additional offices set up to promote the awareness of lottery.

“Bringing all these coordinators together and all the management staff members together to enable the management to re-strategise so that we can come up with better implementation strategies for the commission.’’

Ekpe said the management of the Commission intended to correct lapses in the discharge of its functions.

He also said the Commission’s offices in the zones and states would be made functional to attract operators of lottery in the country.

“Lottery is something that can generate revenue for the government outside crude oil and other natural resources. Lottery is the next oil boom in the country.

“ It will be very effective if Nigerians actually know how to go about it and they are not deprived the opportunity to go about it,’’ he said.

Ekpe commended the Federal Government for appointing him the director-general of the commission, assuring the government that lottery would be taken to a greater height during his tenure. (NAN)