The Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has again called for the diversification of the Nigerian economy from oil to agriculture and air cargo transport.
The Governor, while speaking at a seminar of Nigerian Shippers Council in Ilorin, said that this would help to restore the economy of the nation.
He said that it was unfortunate that Nigeria is yet to fully tap the potential in the air cargo sector, despite being endowed with agricultural produce with available markets locally and internationally.
While the nation cannot completely discount crude oil as a source of revenue, Governor Ahmed stressed that agriculture remains the sector with the capacity to stimulate and insulate the economy.
He stressed that domestic cargo business has the potential to generate revenues for both investors and governments if the domestic wings of major airports in the country are fully developed for cargo travel.
Local agricultural produce would be transported with ease and waste will be minimized, he said.
The Governor added that the state government’s decision to construct the Ilorin Cargo Terminal Airport was part of effort to support farmers, boost agriculture and grow Kwara State into the region’s agribusiness hub.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello, agreed that the airfreight sector holds great potentials for the expansion of the nation’s export base in perishable goods.
He explained that if properly developed, the sector has the potential of drastically boosting the revenue of government at all levels.